The One Dream
by stormy003
Summary: Yukimura Kiyoko has been forced to take on the 287th hunters' exam at the age of 16 by her counterpart, Yukimura Kuromi. The outgoing and caring girl developed a certain hate-love feeling and relationship towards a certain boy who's just an age older than her, Kurapika, as the exam proceeds. Will her counterpart find away to get rid of those feelings or will they end up together?
1. Character Profile and Note?

**If she was in buddyfight...**

Name: Yukimura Kiyoko

Kiyoko means pure child, Kuromi means dark beauty, and Yukimura means snowy village

Characters: 雪村 清子(暗美)

Nickname: Kuro (as Kuromi), Kiyo (as Kiyoko)

Alias/Stage Name: Yukimura Kuromi

Age: 16

Gender: Female

Birth date: December 21

World User: Magic World

Personality:  
>*As Kiyoko, she is very friendly and bubbly to others. She enjoys making new friends and helping others in need. It is hard to see Kiyoko lose control over her sanity unless she's against a criminal fighter. She speaks calmly and her voice is usually filled with light as Kiyoko.<br>* As Kuromi, she is the total opposite and is very hostile towards others. The outgoing side of her stands out more than her evil self. Her voice sounds harsher and sharper as Kuromi, making her sound mischievous and evil. Kuromi enjoys crushing challengers that dare to threaten her, smirking often as she does so.

Buddy Monster: Witch of Destruction, Hearty the Devastator

Buddy Skill: She has the ability to create a portal one at a time to get to a certain place. If it's something she has to take care close by, she relies on her athletic ability and her buddy's magic to move quickly and lightly.

Core Gadget: The gem on her deck is red while her case is violet with blue outlines. When luminizing her deck, the core deck case turns to a violet mp3 player with blue highlights and white earphones.

Affiliation: Student (Home schooled by her mom), Former Buddy Police Officer

Appearance:  
>*Normal: Kiyoko has straight bangs in the center of her head. Her left fringe is braided and tucked behind her ear and lock of hair. The rest of her bangs on the right is tucked behind her ear and lock of hair, similar to the left. She has fair skin and her hair color is lavender. Kiyoko's eyes are amber (leaning over more on orange than red or yellow) and her eye shape is round and not too sharp. The girl wear's a loose palecloudy periwinkle shirt that looks like a short dress with a square collar that's slit in the middle, visible black straps underneath the shirt. The ribbon on her shirt is royal blue while the rose connected to the ribbon is crimson red. The baggy capris she wears reach an inch below her knees and are pale golden in color. Kiyoko wears white ankle socks matched with periwinkle and white sneakers, the lines and flap on her shoes being periwinkle. She has 3 white hidden clips holding her braids together. When Kuromi kicks in, her lavender hair his tipped with red with a hint of rose pink and her amber eyes change colors to a deep scarlet. Kuromi's eyes are now sharper and her pupils looks more like slits. Her hair is a little messier than her other self, Kiyoko.  
>*Work: KiyokoKuromi wears the buddy police uniform, a blue long sleeve shirt connected with shorts that reach mid thigh. The shirt and shorts are connected like a jumper and are folded at the sleeves and legs. The design on her shorts and shirt are similar to Tasuku's and her vest, also looks like the boy's, is orange with golden linings, a pocket on her right and the police emblem on the left. Underneath the vest and blue jumper is a black turtle neck. There is a pouch behind her, buckled with a black strap around the vest. She wears one orange fingerless glove line with black lining on her right hand. She wears white mid thigh high socks lined with orange and orange ankle high shoes with black linings and laces. Unlike Tasuku, the girl bares an orange hat similar to Stella with the police force emblem on it. She does NOT have shoulder plates of guards like the boy.

Bio: A girl who has dissociative identity disorder (DID) or simply known as split personalities. She received this disorder at a young age for being mistreated by the students at school (not Aibo). She has been home schooled every since then and Kuromi tends to take control whenever she feels like it. Her brother is deceased, never being able to meet him. Kiyoko has mastered the control over Kuromi and can switch off with her other self anytime. She usually switches to Kuromi when things get bad or when she loses control. Her lessons begin when her mom comes home from work at the flower shop. Her dad is an engineer that works 24/7 everyday. Kiyoko decided to join the police force to calm and pleasure Kuromi's urges to threaten others. The girl helps the police force as Kiyoko when it's a simple task of capturing a criminal. Kuromi comes in when the task gets dangerous.

Likes:  
>*Kiyoko: helping others, flowers, music, dancing, her friends and family, animals, the police force and her job, jelly<br>*Kuromi: threatening others, beating up criminals, challenges and dangerous acts, weapons (preferably guns)

Dislikes:  
>*Kiyoko: being mistreated, hurting others, watching others get hurt, threats, mindless idiots, those who are against her, criminals, people who argue without a specific reason<br>*Kuromi: Cutesy or girly stuff, those who threaten her instead of the opposite, those who are better than her at something, things that are too overfriendly, criminals, obnoxiously loud people

Relationship/Connections: Yukimura Tidus(father), Yukimura Usako(mother), Yukimura Uryuu(brother; deceased), Police Force(colleagues/friends), Mikado Gao(close friend), Uki Kuguru(friend), Omori Baku(friend), Ryuenji Tasuku(Partner in crime/close friend),Hyoryu Kiri(friend), Kurodake Tetsuya(friend), Fujimiya Kazane(friend)

Deck(s): Divine Spell Casters

Line: "Mirror, mirror anddddd…. abra cadabra! Destroy those who block our way, my Divine Spell Casters! Luminize!"

Buddy Monster: Witch of Destruction, Hearty the Devastator  
>Type- Monster<br>Power- 6000  
>Defense- 6000<br>Critical- 2

Alias: Hearty

Personality: Dark and very mischievous. She decided to become Kiyoko's buddy because of her split personality counterpart, Kuromi. Normally plays pranks on others like making objects float across an empty room or pouring buckets of water on people. Cares greatly for her buddy, both Kiyoko and Kuromi.

Likes: playing tricks, relaxing, being free to do anything, her buddy (mostly as Kuromi)

Dislikes: Being in her miniature form because she thinks it's shameful and ridiculous, criminals, those who despise her

Size 1:  
>Dragowizard, Qinus Axia x1<br>Magic Knight of Light, Licht x2  
>Mage disciple Rody x1<br>Healing Hand of Wind, Lispel x2  
>Black Demon Swordsman, Jace x1<p>

Size 2:  
>Dance Magician, Albrecht x1<br>Liar, Fullfool x2  
>Witch of Mischief, Iris the Trickerx1<br>Center of the World, Mary Sue x2  
>Evil Spirit Leader, Kimaris x2<p>

Size 3:  
>Witch of Destruction, Hearty the Devastator x3<br>Demon Programmer, Marbas x1

Spells:  
>Transflame x2<br>Magical Goodbye x2  
>Key of Solomon, Second Volume x3<br>Abra Cadabra! X2  
>Solomon's Shield x3<br>Great Spell, My Grandfather Clock x1  
>Speed Summon x2<br>Nice One! X2

Item:  
>Magic Arm, Burning Fist x1<br>Gunrod, Stradivarius x2

Impact:  
>De Guaita Crush Knuckle! X1<p>

**She's not though. Um, my friend on Wattpad wanted to add my OC into her buddyfight fanfic, but she didn't want to use Suzuki Yuna. ^^ So, I designed Kiyoko(Kuromi) and her profile last minute before I slept. I usually don't like making multiple OCs in one anime or game series, don't know why, I just don't. But this is an exception if it's what my friend wanted. Maybe I could use her for like HunterxHunter or something... I just started watching that anime, hehehe -shame- Anyways, brief profile for a cross over series, I guess. -shrug- Might as well use her for another anime series since her appearance and stuff like that are already created. **

**NOTE: Other than that, here's her bio for Hunter x Hunter, the anime she'll be representing for.**

Name: Yukimura Kiyoko

Kiyoko means pure child, Kuromi means dark beauty, and Yukimura means snowy village

Characters: 雪村 清子(暗美)

Nickname: Kuro (as Kuromi), Kiyo (as Kiyoko)

Alias/Stage Name: Yukimura Kuromi

Age: 16

Gender: Female

Birth date: December 21

Height: 168 cm; 5'5.5"

Weight: 53 kg; 115.6 lbs

Blood Type: B

Weapon of Choice: Wooden Staff, Calligraphy Brush once she learns nen

Nen Type: Manipulation(Kiyoko),Transmutation(Kuromi)

Affiliation: Hunters Association

Occupation: Beast Hunters

Personality:  
>*As Kiyoko, she is very friendly and bubbly to others. She enjoys making new friends and helping others in need. It is hard to see Kiyoko lose control over her sanity unless she gets really nervous or scared, leaving her mind very vulnerable. The outgoing side of her stands out more than her evil self. She speaks calmly and her voice is usually filled with light as Kiyoko.<br>*As Kuromi, she is the total opposite and is very hostile towards others. Her voice sounds harsher and sharper as Kuromi, making her sound mischievous and evil. Kuromi enjoys fighting others and violence. She will snap when an impolite person is posing as a formal person or when other people are impolite to her and Kiyoko.

Appearance:  
>*Kiyoko has straight bangs in the center of her head. Her left fringe is braided and tucked behind her ear and lock of hair. The rest of her bangs on the right is tucked behind her ear and lock of hair, similar to the left. She has fair skin and her hair color is lavender. Kiyoko's eyes are amber (leaning over more on orange than red or yellow) and her eye shape is round and not too sharp. The girl wear's a loose palecloudy periwinkle shirt that looks like a short dress with a square collar that's slit in the middle, visible black straps underneath the shirt. The ribbon on her shirt is royal blue while the rose connected to the ribbon is crimson red. The baggy capris she wears reach an inch below her knees and are pale golden in color. Kiyoko wears white ankle socks matched with periwinkle and white sneakers, the lines and flap on her shoes being periwinkle. She has 3 white hidden clips holding her braids together. When Kuromi kicks in, her lavender hair his tipped with red with a hint of rose pink and her amber eyes change colors to a deep scarlet. Kuromi's eyes are now sharper and her pupil looks more like slits. Her hair is a little messier than her other self, Kiyoko.

*As a Lynith, a rabbit-lynx creature, she has pure white fur and teal-maroon eyes shaped like a rabbit's. Her long tail is quite furry, but not as furry as a wolf's; forming a sharp scythe-shape at the end of it. She's as big and thin as a cheetah and bares sharp claws. Kiyoko(Kuromi) Has long fluffy rabbit ears that doesn't droop downwards and long furry muzzles and chest fur.

Bio: A girl who has dissociative identity disorder (DID) or simply known as split personalities. She received this disorder at a young age for being mistreated by others on Whale Island. She has been cooped up at home and on the fields of the house ever since then and Kuromi tends to take control whenever she feels like it. Her brother is deceased, never being able to meet him. Kiyoko has mastered the control over Kuromi and can switch off with her other self anytime. She usually switches to Kuromi when things get bad or when she loses control (an example would be when she gets nervous). Her wooden staff was crafted by her mom. Her dad rarely has time to visit the family, being a hunter himself. Kiyoko decided to take the hunters exam to calm and pleasure Kuromi's urges to threaten others. Kiyoko will tend to be in control of herself when things are simple and not too dangerous to handle. Kuromi comes in when the tests starts to get dangerous. The girl decided to become a beast hunter even though her counter wanted to take on as a blacklist hunter, only to get her request declined by Kiyoko.

Likes:

*Kiyoko: helping others, flowers, music, dancing, her friends and family, animals, seeing smiles, Kurapika

*Kuromi: threatening others, challenges and dangerous acts, weapons, fights

Dislikes:

*Kiyoko: being mistreated, hurting others, watching others get hurt, threats, mindless idiots, those who are against her, people who argue without a specific reason, Hisoka, Illumi Zoldyck

*Kuromi: Cutesy or girly stuff, those who threaten her instead of the opposite, those who are better than her at something, things that are too overfriendly, obnoxiously loud people, Hisoka, Illumi Zoldyck

Relationship/Connections:

Gon Freecss(friend), Leorio Paradinight(friend), Killua Zoldyck(friend), Kurapika(friend/interest), Yukimura Tidus(father), Yukimura Usako(mother), Yukimura Uryuu(brother; deceased)

Abilities:  
>-Proficiency in close combat and wielding her wooden staff skillfully<br>-The ability to turn into a Lynith; a rabbit-lynx creature  
>-Ability to jump abnormally high and fast reflexes<br>-Enhanced agility  
>-Master in the usage of her brush. Without it, Kiyoko can't manipulate anything or anyone, but ink and Kuromi can't summon her ink beasts. Unfortunately, her brush is not conjugated.<p>

Nen Abilities:

-Both personals are able to remove and control ink without their brush, not being able to attack. A snap of their fingers allows them to remove the ink in an instant.

*Kiyoko:  
>-Puppeteer's Strings: Allows Kiyoko to control people and objects with her calligraphy brush just by drawing characters in the air at her victim. She has a time limit of 3 hours to control her victim, 3 hour each things she manipulate if at the same time, and can gain control from 23-25 meters far. Kiyoko is able to see what her victim is seeing when she gains control. She is able to control certain weighed things and she can't control inanimate objects stuck to the ground; it can't be too heavy or her aura would be drained completely. If her victim is too heavy or big, she can't control another item if she's already manipulating the big victim. She can alternate between her preys, controlling one victim and passing to the next. If she passes onto a new victim, her time limit does not reset.<p>

+If she draws the Japanese character for 'silence' in the air or a plain line on a human's body, she can manipulate a person's speech. Snapping her fingers allow her to mute or amplify the person again whenever she wants to. Kiyoko can cut a person's sentence off with a swing of her brush as if the word had been erased from a writing. Her time limit is shorter than the actual time limit to control something; 30 minutes. It's difficult to break free from the manipulation, but it possible.

+If she draws the Japanese character for 'control', she can control an object or a human, multiple if the items or creatures are light and small enough. Their movements would be slightly different since it's a little more complicated to control multiple things than one. If she is controlling items like feathers or flower petals, she can create a storm with it, the objects becoming sharper because of the speed it's going at. The person or people she control may communicate to others, but can't mention a thing about the threads. Once her control is up, they would forget what had happened. The way to move the victim is by swiping her brush in certain ways. An ink puppeteer's hand holding a control and connected by ink threads is present above the controlled victim or item, hidden by gyo.

+If she draws the Japanese character for 'rule', she can knock out a creature or human and control them when they're unconscious. Their eyes will become lifeless and dull. Their unconscious state makes things a lot easier for Kiyoko to do her business and she can communicate through those people she's controlling. The way to move the victim is by swiping her brush in certain ways. An ink puppeteer's hand holding a control and connected by ink threads is present above the controlled victim or item, hidden by gyo.

*Kuromi:  
>-Beast's Dimension: Allows Kuromi to summon different creatures just by drawing a line in the air and increasing her aura into that line for faster production. She can create any animal and multiple at once, but it drains a lot of energy from her. A certain creature has a certain ability like a wolf having high agility, a bear-fox having high defense, and dragon having the upper hand in aerial battle. If ink gets onto a target, Kuromi's creations can track them down. She is able to see what her creations are seeing. The ink is spread onto a person when the creature makes contact with the target or when the creature suddenly explodes at close range. Kuromi doesn't need to swing her brush or anything fancy to control her creations. The ink being spread is hidden by gyo.<p>

-Shadow's Call: When Kuromi draws on the ground she is able to trap people in one spot to delay their movements for a brief moment. One the organism sets foot into the hidden trap, the ink would activate and trap the victim(s) with ink thread. It is possible to break free, but may be difficult. The trap is hidden by gyo.


	2. Chapter 1

Light pattering footsteps were heard as bright, cloudy periwinkle and white shoes picked up from the dusty ground and made contact with it once again, continuing in a rhythm.

_'pata pata pata….'_

Mid-back length lavender hair fluttering in the wind along with a bright, cloudy periwinkle colored dress length shirt with a long royal blue ribbon across the waist; attached to it, an out of place crimson red rose, that reaches above mid-thigh. Her straight bangs slightly swept to the left in the center of her face while the fringe of her remaining bangs on the left was braided and tucked behind her ear and lock of hair, secretly secured by three white clips; the right side similar to the left, just without the braid and clips. Every step she took, her pale golden baggy capris would brush against each other, pulling it up over her knees and dropping it back to its original place. The 16 year old girl, Yukimura Kiyoko, took a look around her surroundings and studied the environment for a while as she was heading over to a certain ship port.

"I-IT'S A POISONOUS SPIDER!" Kiyoko heard a male voice yell nearby.

The girl curiously looked over to her right to see a diner ahead of her and noticed that everyone was backing away from a blonde haired boy and a palm sized spider.

"CAREFUL AND DON'T MOVE A MUSCLE! IF YOU MOVE, IT'LL GET YOU!" the waiter warned the boy, fear coating his voice.

The 17 year old boy clad in mainly blue, red, and white stared at everyone blankly and slowly fixed his gaze on the spider inching closer to his left hand every step it took. Kiyoko flinched when his eyes altered from brown to a beautiful, but frightening looking scarlet when he took sight of the spider. Quickly stabbing the spider with the fork in his grasp, the boy threw the silverware unintentionally at the girl with one swift arm motion, unaware of whom it may hit. The girl's amber colored eyes immediately widened when she caught sight of the flying fork that contained the enormous dangerous creature called a spider heading towards her and immediately ducked when the fork was only a few inches away from her face. Kiyoko's fair colored face went pale when she looked behind her and saw the live spider crawling away from the weapon unharmed and turned back to see the boy casually eating his food as if nothing happened, eyes back to being brown.

'….. D-did his eyes just change colors? What just happened?' the girl thought hesitantly.

The boy glanced over at Kiyoko's area and found her fuming at herself about what just happened and looked away.

'Crazy girl..' he thought.

"Man, all that running around made me hungry!" a voice suddenly grumbled behind the girl.

Kiyoko looked over to her left to see a man in a dark blue suit with small round glasses and carrying a brief case, heading straight with a young boy clad in green and carrying a fishing pole just following him casually.

"STOP, THIEF!" one of the merchants nearby the diner yelled, running after the man who stole some food.

The formal suited man's stomach began to growl loudly.

"… My stomach is empty right now.. That stand over there is also empty right now… so don't mind if I do!" the man said, grabbing some fish and holding them against his briefcase.

"This is it! So long, kid!" he exclaimed with his mouth full, everyone's attention now fixed onto him and muttering something to each other.

'…. That bastard ought to learn some manner since he's dressed so formally and crap,' a harsh and clean voice suddenly said.

'Kuromi, you better not take control now. It's not worth trying to talk him out of this by the looks of it,' Kiyoko thought to herself, answering her second personal.

'That guy over there sure has guts to throw that fork at you too! They both need to learn how to respect!'

Kiyoko mentally sighed to herself as her opposite ignored her first thought.

'You really want to be the one in control now, don't you..? Tell you what, I'll switch with you, but don't do anything ridiculous and head straight to the ship we need to board.'

Kiyoko felt a smirk trying to spread across her face after deciding to switch in with her opposite as she brushed off her clothes and picked up her adjustable wooden staff she dropped when she dodged the fork. The tip of the girl's lavender hair slowly melted into a rosy pink and red color as it got messier, her eyes got sharper and colder, pupils changing to something like slits and the irises turning into a deep red-orange color.

'Oh don't worry, Kiyoko. I'll just keep walking until a douche bag decides to take action first,' Kuromi replied as she gave an evil smirk, tucking the staff into the ribbon at her waist.

The warm-hearted girl, suddenly turn cold, looked at her right hand; closed it into a fist and opened it back up twice, dropping it back to her side.

'You better not turn into that Lynith. I don't want people looking at me weird,' Kiyoko warned.

'It's not like they made contact with a Lynith before. In fact, out of everyone in this world, only a few have the ability to turn into some random rabbit-lynx creature,' Kuromi pointed out.

'That's the thing! IT'S LIKE A CURSE!' Kiyoko screamed mentally.

Kuromi closed her eyes in disappointment, a small frown crossing her face as she continued on her path.

"Hey there, young lady! Are you lost of something? Tell you what, why don't you come with me and tell me where you're heading to?" a man with a smug look on his face asked.

Kuromi ignored the said man and walked right past him as if he wasn't there. The man's creepy smile faltered as she breezed by him, making him grab her arm and stopping her from going any further by force.

"I can take you to where you are heading, dear, so tell me away!" he offered one more time, gripping her wrist tighter.

'Hey, Kiyoko. Can I beat the crap out of this guy?' she asked in a pissed off manner.

'… Go ahead. He gives me chills, honestly,' Kiyoko replied.

Kuromi's head was hung low, hair shadowing her face as she stood at her spot in a relaxed manner. She began to let a mischievous smirk cross her face, a brief view of sharp canine teeth showing.

"Hey, old man, let go of my wrist or else…" the girl threatened with a sharp tone.

The man raised an eyebrow curiously at her threats, not taking it seriously.

"Don't worry, sweetie. It's not like I'll try to-"

The stranger was suddenly interrupted when Kuromi's heel made contact with his stomach; a lot of force from her backswing, his grip loosening around her wrist. Kuromi threw her arm in a downward motion and made the man collapse onto the floor as he held onto his stomach painfully.

"I did warn you, didn't I?" the opposite asked as she leered at the sight before her.

Kuromi took out the adjustable staff and extended it to its fullest, twirling it as the man replied in an irked manner.

"You little-"

Kuromi swung the staff hard onto the man's face with her right hand as she shifted from one leg to the other and set her left hand on her hip, right arm extended before her and pointed at the vulnerable man, grinning a wide sadistic grin.

"Shut it or I'll rip your mouth off."

The girl pulled the staff away and allowed it to decline back into the size of a wand as the man shut his trap and peed a little, tucking it back into the ribbon around her waist behind the rose, walking away casually as she pulled her hair to the front and over her left shoulder.

'Pathetic,' she muttered in a corrupted manner, extending her left arm out as her fingers brushed the stands of hair and allowed it to fall into place.

'I have to agree with you on that.. Even I could've hit him like that, just with weaker power..' Kiyoko added in.

"Welcome, young lady! Are you here to take on the 287th hunter exam?" the captain of the ship asked, heartily.

Kuromi stared at the round man with disinterest written all over her face as her eyes and hair returned to normal. The girl suddenly gave a bright smile to the captain and nodded as if nothing happened.

"Yes, I am! May I board this ship to proceed?" Kiyoko asked.

The captain smiled at her enthusiasm, unaware of the sudden appearance change.

"Of course you can! Just be sure to get ready for the exam, it'll be a tough one!"

Kiyoko's eyes brightened up as she leaned in a little.

"Alright! Thank you, sir!" she said as she ran on board and waved.

The girl entered the deck and looked around, awe struck by the surroundings around her.

'My first time on a boat… This seems quite exciting!' she thought.

'Exciting? On this rocking rubbish? Kiyoko, I don't understand you sometimes..' Kuromi replied boredly.

'Well, that's you. This is me. We may be the same person, but we are completely different, thoughts and personality wise.'

Kuromi clicked her tongue and gave an irritated answer back to herself.

'I sure wish I had a body of my own….'

Kiyoko frowned and closed her eyes to relax and calm down a little from the statement.

'And I sure wish I never had this problem with you!'

The same boy from the diner suddenly set foot onto the ship when Kiyoko opened up her eyes, bright shining amber meeting dull brown eyes.

'Oh great. It's Mr. Good Looks again. Give him a smacking for almost stabbing us with a spider-attached fork, unless you want me to do it.'

Kiyoko looked away from the boy, feeling a little nervous under his harsh gaze.

'I rather not… I feel like he's glaring at me for unknown reasons….' Kiyoko squeaked.

'… It's that same girl at the diner..' he thought finally moving away from the board at the dock.

'Right, I almost hit her with the fork when I stabbed and flung that spider….' the boy muttered as he walked over to the main mast and sat down, leaning against it.

Kiyoko, who was also already standing near the mast, slowly scanned around the area to find a place far away from the boy, spotting an empty space at the forecastle deck. The girl began to walk away from the area she stood and away from the boy only to feel his cat-like eyes burning through her skull, making her slow down her steps involuntarily.

"Hey. You. The girl with the lavender hair," he called out stiffly.

Kiyoko completely stopped in her tracks and glanced over her shoulder nervously.

'Well, we are the only girls here right now, genius…' Kuromi said, annoyed.

"Y-yes? May I help you?" Kiyoko answered him hesitatingly.

An awkward silence passed by the two as the sea continued to crash onto everything in its way, the boy around her age trying to study her.

"There is nothing for you to help me with," he finally answered, attitude not changing one bit.

'I don't like his attitude,' Kuromi complained.

"O-oh alright then….." the nervous girl answered awkwardly, beginning to walk away again.

".. Sorry."

Kiyoko stopped again, this time fully turning her body to face the boy.

"… Excuse me? For what?" she replied stupidly.

The boy frowned and sharpened his eyes at her face, focusing on her eyes.

"What else is there to apologize for? I meant the fork and spider incident," he answered, practically glaring at the girl when he mentioned 'spider'.

'Right.. Sorry.. And it's fine really…' Kiyoko muttered embarrassedly as she tried to hide her last question.

'It was so not alright! If that hit you, you would've been injured and that would mean I would've been injured too!' Kuromi said, enraged at her goody-goody self.

Kiyoko began to lose control over her own body as her negative side tried to reveal herself, only successfully taking over her right eye and her mouth; half of her hair tipped with red and a scowl coming upon her face. The boy took notice of the change in the girl's expression and mood, her right eye being a lot darker and sharper than her left, glaring at him ruthlessly as if someone was possessing Kiyoko's body. The boy's face expression remained the same as he began to wonder what was going on with the girl's appearance, Kiyoko finally gaining control again. The girl covered up her face and frowned into her hand, muttering something underneath her breath.

"... Anyways... That's all I wanted to say," the boy suddenly said.

Kiyoko perked up at his voice and removed her hand, giving a nervous grin.

"Ahh, right! Okay.. It's fine though, really," she said, waving at the boy and excusing his apology.

The boy nodded and began to read a book he brought along with him, turning a blind eye on the strange girl.

"Alright, you bags of bones! Let's set sail, off to the exam sight!" the captain suddenly announced as the ship slowly took off, the ship's gong being played.

"W-WAIT FOR US! WE'RE HERE TO TAKE THE EXAM TOO!" a young boy's voice sounded.

Kiyoko looked over to see the same two guys near the diner running towards the moving ship, waving their arms frantically.

"Too bad, boys, but you're going to have to find a way on board! I'm not turning this ship back for two mere applicants!" the captain responded.

"Have fun swimming on board, haha! It'll be impossible!" an applicant said.

The two boys said something to each other and suddenly turned to an utterly different direction towards a cliff.

'Hm? Are they going to try and jump on board or actually swim?' Kiyoko thought as an image appeared in her head, making her a little frightened at the possible results.

The young spiky haired boy took his fishing rod from behind his back and wielded the item skillfully, snagging at an immobile boulder securely and swinging off the cliff with the older man clinging onto him for dear life.

"A-AHHHHH!"

The two flung themselves across the ocean and made contact with the white sail as the fishing line unlatched its clasp on the boulder, every man, except for the captain, the strange boy, and Kiyoko, on board having a shocked expression displayed on their poor faces.

"Are you okay, mister?" he asked with concern.

"Oww. It's Leorio-san, not just mister to you!" he exclaimed with his face pressed up against his brief case and butt up in the air.

The young boy gave him a cheeky grin as they stood up from where they were, attention slowly dying down.

'This year's challengers may not be so lanky after all..' the captain told himself, staring at the two boys.

The young boy turned his body fully to look at the disappearing island as the boat added the distance between them.

"Good bye, Whale Island. I'll come back as the best full fledge hunter before you know it!" he exclaimed as he waved.

"The best hunter? Yeah right! Are you looking down on us, kid?" one of the passengers said mockingly.

"Every single year, millions of skilled applicants take on this exam and only handfuls are selected. Don't go saying stuff you can't backup!" another supported.

Kiyoko remained quiet and watched the scene unfold before her, studying all the passengers on the ship.

"Hi, miss!" a young voice suddenly chimed.

Kiyoko jumped and looked over next to her to see the young lad standing next to her, both hands clutching at his yellow and brown backpack straps. The girl let out a sigh and faced the boy, locking her hands together behind her back.

"Don't scare me like that, please. Hello, is there something I can help you with?" Kiyoko answered giving a warm smile to the young boy.

The boy stuck out his tongue playfully and winked.

"Sorry about that! Are you here for the hunter exam too?" the boy continued.

Kiyoko's smiling face was replaced by a confused expression as she nodded at the boy's question.

"Yes, I am. It's my first time, so I don't know if I can help you with anything.." she replied.

The boy's smile grew wider as he leaned forward and balanced on his heels.

"It's alright! It's my first time too and I'm really excited about this, my blood is pumping quickly!" he exclaimed.

"Want to stick together during the exam?" he suddenly asked.

'Tch,' Kuromi suddenly clicked.

'What is it, Kuromi?'

Kiyoko put a finger up to her chin and thought for a few seconds, the blond boy and black haired man with glasses looking over at the two.

'This kid's energy is starting to piss me off…'

Kiyoko sighed and glared mentally at her other self.

'Don't be rude. He's just a little boy.'

"Sure, if you want, I guess," Kiyoko answered nervously.

The boy with the book glared at the newly formed duo as his grip on his book tightened, crushing the pages between the hard covered book.

"You're never going to be a decent sailor at this rate, Katsuo!" a voice exclaimed, laughing with another male voice as a scrawny sailor with a bandanna tied on his head picked up the green apples on deck.

The man named Katsuo began to stand up, trying to pick up the crate before him only to get his rear kicked by the man behind him, making him drop more apples. The two sailors around the poor man began to laugh and insult him some more, the captain yelling at them.

"You losers! Don't you slack off!"

"A-aye, sir!" the two indecent people exclaimed, running away.

"Hm? Didn't you hear me!? Move that crate!"

Katsuo jumped and picked up the heavy crate before scrambling off to the other side of the ship.

"Wait!" the young boy suddenly called as he flashed an excluded apple and tossed it to the man.

"Ah, thanks!"

The dark green, almost black, haired boy stopped smiling and looked at the seagulls in the sky.

"… A storm is heading this way.." he told the captain.

"How do you know that, boy?"

He suddenly pointed at the group seagulls and sniffed the air.

"That's what the seagulls are saying…"

The boy leaped all the way up to the top of the main mast to smell the air again.

"A huge storm is coming!" he announced.

The captain's eyes widened as a thought came to mind.

"Listen everyone, bring the sails down!" he said, earning a response from his crew.

Everyone got to work immediately after the order was sent as the man in the suit named Leorio, Kiyoto, and the youngest boy watched them work, the boy that had his book in his hand ignoring everything. A bucket suddenly flew over the long blue flag out of nowhere, causing Leorio to scream ridiculously loud and high-pitched as it made contact with his face and breaking to pieces. Three wooden boards shot at the blond boy who was now closing his eyes and crossing his arms across his chest after the contact, leaning side to side and slumping down a little to dodge each board.

'Hmph! Thinks he's really good and all now does he?' Kuromi huffed furiously.

'Kuromi…. Calm down. He's already apologized-'

'In an ill-mannered way!' the pissed off personal said, cutting off Kiyoko's thoughts.

'You're probably worse than him though,' Kiyoko countered.

The dangerous storm continued to sway the ship side to side violently as every passengers got seasick and was tumbling all over the place. Kiyoko was sitting at the same spot she was at in the cabin before the storm came as she watched the young green haired boy take care of the seasick. Slowly looking over at the person behind her, the boy lying in the tan hammock continued to read his book with a bored expression and glanced over at the girl silently. The captain slowly opened the door to the cabin as he found everyone piling up with a sick face.

'These shrimps are the ones to take the hunters' exam? How pathetic… They couldn't even last a lousy ship ride, so how would they hold up in the exam?' he muttered disappointedly.

"W-waterrrr….." a candidate chocked out.

"Don't worry! Water is coming soon! In the meantime, chew on this herb to help your sickness," the young boy instructed.

The captain became impressed by the younger boy's efforts and kindness then looked around the room to see 3 others who appears to be fine, Kiyoko fiddling around with her ribbon on her waist and the boy behind her crossing his leg as he read the book.

'Oooh! This is one sour apple….' Leorio muttered after taking a bite from the green apple he held, his face expression twisting.

'Hm… So there are a few candidates with guts on board…'

"EXCUSE ME, SIR!" Katsuo exclaimed as he ran into the small room with a cup of water, catching the captain off balanced.

"Here's the water you've been waiting for!"

The younger boy grabbed the cup and smiled.

"Thanks! Here, you can drink the water you've been waiting for.." he said, helping the weak man drink his fill.

Everyone directed their attention at the young boy curiously as he gave back the cup to Katsuo and thanked him.

"Alright now… Tell me your names," the captain said after leading the four to the bridge of the ship.

"I'm Gon!" the youngest boy exclaimed happily.

"My name's Kurapika," the emotionless boy answered next.

"Leorio's the name…." the man said, not bothering to look at anything.

The girl hesitated as her other self tried to take control of her body again.

"I-I'm Kiyoko."

The captain didn't hesitate to ask the next question in his mind after their introductions.

"Why is it that you boys and girl of course, want to become hunters?"

Leorio's eyes popped open and frown at the old man, pointing angrily at him.

"Hey, old man! If you aren't one of the examiners, you can't boss us around!" he yelled.

"Answer the question!"

Gon stared at the man he followed around at Whale Island and then smiled at the captain to give his reply.

"My dad is a hunter. I left the island because I wanted to find out why dad was so dedicated to his work as a hunter!"

The captain lowered his eyes and thought intently at Gon's response.

'Dad? Hunter? So this boy's Ging's son…. It looks like that time has come,' the man thought, pulling his smoke pipe out of his mouth and sticking it back in.

"Kid! You're not supposed to answer his question!" Leorio hollered.

"Huh? Why not?"

"Don't work well with others, eh? I rather not reveal the reason why I'm here," Leorio told everyone, poking at Gon's forehead.

"I agree with Leorio," a different voice suddenly joined.

"Huh. H-HEY, AREN'T YOU YOUNGER THAN ME? SHOW ME SOME RESPECT!" the man yelled pointing at Kurapika.

Kiyoko sighed and brought a hand up to her face tiredly, deciding to stay quiet until she needs to speak up.

"It's actually simple to avoid answering such questions by giving a simple conceivable lie," he continued, ignoring the older man.

"ARE YOU EVEN TRYING TO LISTEN TO ME, KID?!" Leorio yelled, enraged at Kurapika's attitude.

'I told you I can't stand him!' Kuromi told her counterpart, trying to take over.

'Not now, Kuromi! It's not time!' Kiyoko told herself.

"Nonetheless, it is thoroughly dishonorable to depend on those deceptions."

'Hmph! Know-it-all!' Kuromi exclaimed angrily.

"And with that, I am to you the certainty of my fact, I would be revealing my private affairs to you all. That's the reason why I can't pledge to you a simple answer,' the boy finally concluded, clutching at his tabard and closing his eyes shut.

"Quite ignoring me!" Leorio yelled, pointing at Kurapika at the beat of each word coming out of his mouth.

"Alright then. To make this clearer, if you turn down my question… Katsuo."

Katsuo looked over at the captain once he was called.

"Aye, captain," he responded.

"Contact the examination board and confirm to them we have two more dropped out candidates," the captain said, receiving full attention from the two stubborn boys.

"By the looks of your face, you haven't suspected it yet, haven't you? The exam has already commenced."

Their confused face was swapped with a shocked and worried face expression as the captain continued to explain.

"Take it this way; there are just as many hunter wannabes as there are stars in the night sky. The examiners don't have the sufficient amount of time to go through it all which is why people like us are hired to cut down the numbers. The board has already been informed about everyone else on this ship dropping out. They couldn't handle this little storm, so it'd be impossible for them to even attempt this exam which also means you get to the real deal IF I allow you to proceed," the man finished as he pulled the pipe back out of his mouth. "Now, think about my question attentively before you answer it."

Everyone went quiet, Gon suddenly concluding the man's reasons.

"And so he said."

Leorio growled at the boy's statement.

"If only that was announced earlier…"

"Young lady, you haven't said anything yet. Why is it that you strive to be a hunter?" Kiyoko jumped and looked around nervously.

"W-well, I…. I'm aiming to be a hunter because I.. need to… satisfy my other self….." Kiyoko replied, looking away and poking her fingers together.

"Hm?"

The people in the room looked over at the girl curiously.

"What do you mean by 'other self', Kiyoko?" the man proceeded to ask.

Kiyoko hesitated and left her mind vulnerable, immediately losing control of half of her body, her right eye growing sharper and turning back to that same deep scarlet color and half of her hair getting messier, being tipped with a rosy pink and red color.

"Well, well, well…." her voice suddenly turning cold.

Everyone suddenly jumped at the tweak in her attitude and backed away a bit, Leorio dragging Gon away from the girl.

"I-I told you to stay away already!" Kiyoko exclaimed, her left eye glowing with concern.

"Kiyoko, you are too vulnerable when you get nervous. No wonder I rarely have trouble taking over and you always switch places with me when you get into trouble~!" Kuromi said excitedly, her right eye clouding up.

Kiyoko's eye suddenly widened and completely changed to Kuromi's appearance, hair fully tipped off. Kuromi's glower was suddenly concentrated at Leorio and Kurapika as she reached for her staff.

"And looky here.. The boy who nearly injured us two and the discourteous man," Kuromi pointed out, Kurapika glaring at the negative girl and Leorio backing up slowly in a frightened way.

"I'll knock both of you fools unconscious, especially YOU, Cat-Eyes!" the girl said, swinging the extended staff at the two.

Kiyoko suddenly took control over herself again and stopped the staff from making contact with Kurapika's face, dropping to the floor on her knees.

"D-DON'T YOU DARE, KUROMI!" the considerate girl struggled to yell at herself, throwing her staff onto the floor away from her possession and clutching her arms tightly with Gon kneeling by her side.

'Kuromi…?' the captain muttered.

Finally calming down from Kuromi's sudden advantage, Kiyoko sat on the floor with her knees brought up to her chest.

"So, that Kuromi person.. Is it an act or is there really another person in you?" the captain asked cautiously.

Kiyoko looked up at everyone apologetically, bringing her knees closer to her.

"Sir, it wasn't an act. If you've noticed, the atmosphere around her changed. Her eye color and face expression changed completely, her voice got harsher and a lot colder than usual, and her hair got messier, coloring the ends of her hair a pink and red color," Kurapika pointed out as he eyed the girl suspiciously.

"…. I have a split personality disorder… The real me is here right now and taking control, Kiyoko, and my other self, Kuromi, is under my mind's control right now. I'm sorry about Kuro's threats and action, Kurapika-kun, Leorio-san…." the girl apologized looking down at her hands.

Kurapika sighed and went to pick up the girl's shrunken staff, studying it as he headed over to where she sat.

"Is it just me or did the length of this stick change?" Leorio pointed out confusedly.

"It did.. It's a staff that can extend to a certain length and decline back to the length of a wand," Kiyoko answered, accepting her wand from the boy.

"B-besides that… I'm very sorry about my control!"

Gon stared at the girl for a while and gave his usual grin.

"It's okay, Kiyoko! It wasn't your fault anyways!" he reassured her.

* * *

><p><strong>I actually JUST STARTED readingwatching Hunter x Hunter.. It's interesting I guess, hehe. Anyways, I sprained my wrist from volleyball and will be resting for a bit. I might be able to finish typing my other Fanfic(s) with one hand, but it'll be very slow. It's interesting to compare HxH 1999 with HxH2011. xD -le sigh- I don't know when I'll ever update this, but we'll seeeee.**

_**~stormy003 **_


	3. Chapter 2

Kiyoko continued to stare at her feet aimlessly, fiddling with the black straps that were falling off her shoulders underneath her long shirt. Gon hesitated to find a way to get the girl's mood back up while the other two boys explained their reasons of why they wanted to be hunters.

"I'm the very last survivor of the Kurta clan," Kurapika, out of nowhere, stated blandly.

"Hm?" the group hummed.

Kiyoko lowered her head as a pang of heavy guilt weighed her chest down, making it harder for her to breathe and to face the boy. The boy lowered his sight to the ground before him as he paused in between a little, glancing over at the girl for a bit.

"Four years ago, my entire clan was wiped out by a group of thieving criminals. I wish to become a hunter to hunt down that band, the Phantom Troupe," the boy said, his voice sounding firm as he looked up into the captain's eyes.

"…. So, you wish to become.. a bounty hunter? That group of people, the Phantom Troupe, is a Class-A bounty. Not even the toughest hunters can lay a finger on them. That means you'd be throwing your one only life away, boy," the captain told the serious Kurta.

"I won't run away from death for I do not fear it," the boy answered immediately, irritatingly closing his eyes. "I only fear that my rage….. will only fade over time."

Kiyoko looked up in time to see his eyes flash that same scarlet color filled with rage she saw before, having an urge to back up away from him, but instead sat there and stared. Gon had a worried look on his face when he saw Kiyoko's face color drain a little and began to shake her little.

"Are you alright, Kiyoko?"

The girl slowly nodded at the question, not bothering to take her sight off the revenge craving boy in front of her.

"So, to make this simpler and shorter, you seek revenge. Does that really demand you to take on the role of a hunter?" Leorio asked with a scoff in his voice.

"Your questions may have been the most idiotic questions I've ever heard, Leorio," the boy shot back calmly but surely sounding very irritated.

The man's face expression immediately changed when his name was said in rude manner once again by that same person.

"IT'S LEORIO-SAN TO YOU, KID!"

"Places that are available to hunters only.. Information, as an alternative, unattainable…"

Leorio began to frown at the indifferently brilliant boy, trying hard not to crack like a vase and spill out his anger.

"Actions other than that, impractical….. There are multiple objectives your brain could very likely contain," Kurapika finished, Leorio finally letting out steam as he began to holler.

"HEY!"

'That boy got nerves to direct insults to people,' Kuromi admitted as she huffed out disappointment.

Gon stuck his hand in front of the man's face before an argument started, ignorantly asking the same question the captain asked everyone.

"Why is it that you want to become a hunter, Leorio-san?"

His enraged face suddenly perked up into a smug look.

"Me? I'll make it short…. Money. I want money!" he exclaimed crazily as he rose up his arms high into the air.

"Money can get you everything you desire! A big house! A nice and perfect car! Good liquor!" he listed as he pretended to take a shot of a drink.

"HAAAA…!"

Leorio's dreams and reasoning was interrupted once again by the Kurta boy once he let out the satisfied sounding sigh.

"You can't afford class with that so-called money, Leorio."

The man stayed in his position for a few seconds with a satisfied smile on his face, immediately frowning at the statement as his face turned to a deep red. Leorio slowly turned his head back behind him to look directly at the boy that had his eyes closed, arms cross together.

"That's the last time you're going to say that. Step outside. I'll end that vulgar Kurta bloodline of yours right here, right now," he grumbled angrily as he walked away.

Kurapika's eyes shot open at the insult the older man gave him, Kiyoko doing the same as she looked at them from one another.

"TAKE THAT BACK, LEORIO!" he exclaimed furiously. All concerns were now on the two, Leorio looking back casually at the younger boy who was now furious.

"Take it back, right now!"

Leorio continued to stare at the enraged Kurta boy with disinterest and stayed quiet for a few.

"That's Leorio-san to you," he answered coldly, turning back and walking out the door with Kurapika following behind angrily.

"You two boys! Get back here! I'm not finished yet!" the captain exclaimed.

Kiyoko looked at the doorway with concern written all over on her as the two disappeared around a corner, Gon suddenly responding.

"Let them be."

The remaining people of the group looked over to the young boy curiously as he began to remember something.

"Mito-san once told me.. It's important for them to know why they're mad at each other, so we should let them settle it by themselves, on their own will," he said, smiling his usual.

Kiyoko looked at the boy's passionate and confident looking face, knowing to trust his words and leaving them alone to calm down.

"C-Captain! L-look!" the sailor on the helm exclaimed, pointing at a waterspout.

Kiyoko stood up from where she was sitting at to see what the man was pointing at, a shocked face expression appearing right when she saw the natural storm coming.

"The ship will sink if we get caught in that!" Katsuo said.

"Go! Lower down the sails, now!" the captain ordered.

"A-AYE!"

Gon immediately looked over at the man saluting next to him.

"I'll help as well!" he offered with a serious look in his eyes.

Without any hesitation, the man accepted the young boy's offer and began running off.

"Alright, come with me!"

'H-huh?! A-are they going to be alright?' Kiyoko thought as the captain shoved the sailor in control of the ship away from the wheel.

'You worry too much… Who cares?' Kuromi said bluntly.

'I care, so be quiet!'

"I'll take over the helm. FULL TO STARBOARD!"

Kiyoko frowned at herself and ran outside after the last sailor left the bridge. The crew began to scatter outside in the storm to fulfill the order they received, pulling at the ropes of the sails.

"HURRY! IT'S GOING TO CATCH US SOON!"

The men kept tugging at the ropes as quickly as possible to lower the sails in the harsh storm as the other two, Kurapika and Leorio, stood on the far right, out of the sailors' way. Kiyoko stood at the doorway as she kept an eye out for everyone's safety, just in case If anything were to happen, paying close attention to every single person outside. The ocean water suddenly collapsed and crashed into the ship as Kurapika and Leorio continued to stand at their spots unfazed and intimidated by each other's faces.

"RETRACT WHAT YOU SAID!" Kurapika exclaimed in anger, swinging his arm out in front of him as his blue and red tabard continued to wave around violently in the wind. "TAKE IT BACK! WITHDRAW YOUR WORDS, AND I'LL FORGIVE YOU, LEORIO!"

The man furrowed his brows together at the boy's statement as his tie flew around in the wind; hands stuck into his pants pockets as he decided to yell back.

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO REPEAT MYSELF? GET THIS THROUGH YOUR THICK SKULL! You should show me some respect!" he said, slightly lowering his voice on his last sentence. "I WON'T YIELD TO YOU!"

The man pulled out a pocket knife as Kurapika exhaled a pissed off sounding sigh and reached behind his back to grab his linked bokken swords.

"I have no other choice…" he responded, hold out his weapons out in front of him.

The storm got stronger as the ship got closer and closer to the natural disaster. The wind began to push and pull the sailors around as they let go of the ropes once it began to whip, not wanting to get flung out of deck. The ship rocked back and forth roughly in the middle of the ocean, instantly fling Katsou who was still grabbing on the rope for dear life, away from the ship.

"Katsuo-san!" Gon yelled, Kiyoko, immediately, dashing forward to grab the man.

The girl reached out her right arm to grab Katsuo's hand, missing it about a few centimeters away.

"CRAP!" she exclaimed.

The crew watched the helpless man fly over towards the ocean as Kurapika and Leorio swiftly took action, running towards him and jumping off the side of the ship to grab him. The two weren't able to grab the man's hands in time and hung onto the railings of the ship with an arm as they cursed themselves.

"Damn it!" they both yelled as they helplessly watched him fall.

"…! G-GON! WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING TO DO?!" Kiyoko exclaimed as the young boy ran passed the girl and leapt off the boat, Kurapika and Leorio taken aback.

The girl ran over to where the four were clinging at, Gon successfully catching Katsuo's arms and getting his legs grabbed by the two who now forgotten about their little argument. Gon and Katsuo landed in the water, safely caught as Kiyoko held onto Kurapika and Leorio's arms tightly, seeing their grip slowly slip.

"Pull them out, now!" Leorio instructed as the two pulled out the drowning boys, the other sailors running over to help them out.

"You are one crazy boy!" Kiyoko exclaimed worriedly as the others helped her pull them back up.

* * *

><p>The storm finally decided to lift up a moment later, showing the bright blue sky underneath the dark grey clouds.<p>

"YOU IDIOT! IF WE DIDN'T GRAB YOUR LEGS, YOU WOULD BE SHARK BAIT ALONG WITH KATSUO BY NOW!" Leorio yelled at the young boy, pointing at him in a pissed off manner.

"N-now, now, guys!" Kiyoko said softly as she prompted them to calm down.

"Honestly.. Just how impulsive can you be?" Kurapika asked as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes, anger clearly shown in his voice.

"N-not you, too…" Kiyoko whined, getting ignored as she kneeled down next to Gon.

"….. But you did catch me, didn't you?" Gon asked innocently.

"Huh?" the three said in sync, looking at the boy curiously.

"Both of you caught me on cue!" Gon pointed out, a bright smile crossing his face.

Kurapika and Leorio stared at the boy with a stupid look slapped onto their faces, clearly not knowing what Gon was trying to tell them all.

"…. Well, I guess so…." Leorio said, finally catching on, Kurapika looking away.

"A-at least they're both safe right?" Kiyoko asked awkwardly.

'Kiyoko, you worry about these idiots too much," Kuromi said.

"Gon!"

Everyone looked over at Katsuo as he ran over to the small group on board.

"Katsuo-san!" Gon said, standing up from his spot.

"Thanks a lot, Gon! You saved my life!" he thanked the boy happily.

"Actually, I couldn't have done it by myself. These two over here helped save you," he told the man, looking at the two stubborn boys.

"Huh?" they both said in unison, Kiyoko softly giggling on the side.

"Thank you very much to all of you!" the man said, bowing down respectfully.

".. No need to thank me," Kurapika bluntly said, looking away from the man once again.

"...Well…. Yeah! I'm glad you're okay now," Leorio said, not even trying to hide his blush.

Kiyoko nodded in approval at everyone's reactions and looked back at Kurapika who was now staring at Leorio startled by his response.

"I'll be heading back to my station now!" Katsuo exclaimed, running off again as Kiyoko stood up and brushed her soaked clothes, pulling her wet hair back away from her face.

Kurapika looked at the smiling man next to him boringly and turned his head away with a smile on his face, catching Leorio off guard.

"….. What..?" he asked a suspicious look crossing his face.

"I apologize for my rude behavior from before. Sorry, Leorio-san," Kurapika said sympathetically, a smile finally forming on his face as little droplets fell from his hair.

".. W-wh-what's with the sudden change?" the man asked, blushing once again and not borthering to wipe his glasses.

"W-we sound like total strangers…. Just call me Leorio… That works fine with me.." Leorio said, waving his hand at the boy as his blush grew.

Kurapika closed his eyes slowly and tilted his chin down, a smile resting on his face.

"… I'm sorry as well."

The boy's eyes suddenly snapped open at the sudden apology.

"I take back every single thing I said. It was wrong for me to say that," Leorio said, a small smile on his face.

Gon and Kiyoko smiled at each other as the scene unfolds before them.

'Ughhh, this is way too warm and fluffy for me! Step away from them already!' Kuromi exclaimed disgustedly.

'Oh no, not at all, Kuromi. Besides, YOU need to apologize also!' Kiyoko ordered herself.

'Uhhh, no thank you.'

"No, it's fine," Kurapika answer the man.

The captain's laugh suddenly echoed around the atmosphere, causing the group to look over at the doorway to see him stand there and letting out a hearty laugh.

"I like you guys! OKAY, THEN! I'll take on the duty of bringing you guys to the port CLOSEST to the site of the hunters' exam, HA!" the captain said, waving a bottle of liquor before walking away.

"Really?" Gon asked as everyone started at the man obliviously.

"Then what about that test of yours?" Kurapika called after.

"Has it.. been decided..?" Kiyoko added in curiously.

"Like I said before… It is MY decision to make… AND YOU ALL PASSED!" he told them happily.

Every individual smiled at themselves satisfyingly, Gon jumping up high and shot a fist into the air.

"YAY!" the young boy exclaimed laughing.

"Kiyoko let out a soft sigh from holding her breath without knowing that she was and felt a sudden impact on her body.

"Uwah! Gon, don't tackle me!" she said, giggling at the young boy's excitement.

The child released her from his grip and smiled a bright smile, delighted to hear the news that everyone passed the very first test they got.

"Kuromi, I'm sure you have something to say to these two guys," Kiyoko said out of nowhere, catching the three boys' attentions.

Kiyoko immediately fully switched places with her counterpart without a second thought, her smile randomly dying down.

"Kiyoko, I already told you I'm not doing it!" the girl yelled.

'Yes you are. I won't let you roam around in my body anymore if you don't do this. Besides, I don't think they're actually bad people,' Kiyoko answered, only audible to Kuromi and herself.

Kuromi growled, showing her sharp teeth as she covered her eyes with her bangs; hair falling over her shoulders, Leorio backing up farther away from the changed girl.

'Fine…' she finally muttered angrily.

"Hey, you, Devil Cat," she said, looking at Kurapika as the atmosphere got intense.

The boy curiously pointed at himself and stared at the girl blankly.

"Yeah you, Blondie," she stated rudely. "You too, long-face."

Leorio looked at the girl and frowned angrily at the nicknames she gave the two. Kiyoko immediately switched back to herself, pulling her hair back and frowning at herself her mood suddenly being pissed.

"Kuromi, I WILL be keeping you from taking over like this forever. I won't even bother switching with you when we get into fights," the girl threatened, switching back to Kuromi.

"Okay, okay! Kurapika, Leorio, or whatever, I think those were your names, I'm SOR-RY" she said in rage, emphasizing 'sorry'.

Kiyoko took over again and bowed down respectfully to the two.

"Sorry about my counterpart's behavior, but yes, we apologize," Kiyoko said, a bright smile appearing on her face.

The two boys, a smiling Kurapika and a frightened Leorio, gave a knowing nod to the girl, accepting her apology from both as Kiyoko and Kuromi. Kurapika felt a small stab in his chest, remembering how he treated the sweet girl before all this happened, but slightly frowned at the idea of apologizing to both her AND Kuromi.

"Hey, Kiyoko. I'm also sorry about the way I treated you and, of course, the fork incident. Kuromi on the other hand… I'm not so sure if I did anything to her.." Kurapika said thoughtfully, clutching at his sopping talbard.

"Fork incident?" Leorio asked, Gon staring at the two oddly.

"Long story short, I stabbed a spider with a fork and threw it over to my left, not knowing if anyone would be there when I was eating," Kurapika told the group.

Kiyoko nodded and grinned.

"It's alright, really. I already accepted your apology for that incident anyways. It's a good thing that it wasn't Kuromi taking control at that time. She would've tried to strangle you right after like this," Kiyoko said, grabbing the boy's wrist and squeezing it a little, shaking it back and forth quickly.

The Kurta boy tried to imagine in his head how it was like to be strangled by Kuromi in such a way, just a lot more violent then how Kiyoko demonstrated.

"Looks like I got lucky then," the boy chuckled looking over at their hands.

Gon smiled a bright smile and eyed the two carefully as he squeezed some water out of his clothes, looking at Leorio who was glaring at the girl.

"If you want to know what to apologize Kuromi for, tell her the same apology you gave me."

Everyone looked at the girl curiously.

"You see, even if I'm the one taking control, she can her us talking and if I get hurt, she feels the same pain I do, vice versa. If one of us dies, be it Kuromi, I'll die as well. We're connected, not two separate people, but separate personalities," Kiyoko explained.

Kurapika nodded understandingly as he looked up at the girl, their hands still linked together.

"I'm sorry about the incident and for my rude behavior, Kuromi," he said, trying to hide his disappointment, aware that the negative personal can hear their conversation.

'Hmph. Fine. I'll accept the goddamn apology, but what about four eyes over there?'

Kiyoko sighed and face Leorio as she finally let go of the boy's wrist, fingers brushing his hand as she did so.

"She accepts your apology, Kurapika-kun, but Leorio, she is expecting an explanation about your action at that food stand," the girl told the man as he squeezed water out of his tie.

Kurapika stared at the girl awkwardly after her fingers brushed his skin, feeling a tingly sensation on it.

"Huh? W-well I was hungry and I didn't have money on me alright?"

Kuromi growled, taking over half of Kiyoko's body.

"NOT A GOOD ENOUGH EXPLANATION, FOUR EYES!" Kuromi exclaimed.

Kiyoko turned their head away from the man and sighed, bringing her arm she had control over up to their face.

"Kiyoko, how can you like people like them?! THAT FOUR EYES OVER THERE STOLE FOOD CAUSE HE DIDN'T HAVE MONEY! HOW REPULSIVE! AND THEN THERES JUMPY, ALWAYS SO HAPPY AND YET VERY STUBBORN! CAT EYES RIGHT THERE NEARLY INJURED US, HOW CAN YOU STILL BE SO NICE TO HIM?!" Kuromi yelled at herself.

The three boys looked at the girl; Leorio and Kurapika's faces cringed at Kuromi while Gon had a blank stare.

"Kuromi, don't be rude. They aren't bad people at all and I can tell by the tone of their voices," Kiyoko told Kuromi, smiling at the others.

Leorio continued to glare at Kuromi as Kurapika's face slightly softened at Kiyoko comment.

"Hmph! Suit yourself, but anything happens," Kuromi said, pulling out the staff and gripping it tightly, "they're going to regret it."

Kuromi returned Kiyoko's body to her causing Kiyoko to feel a little off balanced at the sudden change.

"You guys might need to watch your back.. Do whatever it takes to get her to trust you, please. I can't keep switching personalities like this constantly.." Kiyoko said, holding her head stressfully.

"WE'RE ALMOST TO THE PORT, KIDDOS!" the captain announced proudly.

Everyone glanced over to the captain to see him pointing ahead, a tiny speck of land visible to the eyes.

"Is that it?" Gon asked, running over to the edge.

"It sure looks like it," Kurapika said, following the boy to the rail with the other two participants at his tail.

The seagulls and seacranes began to squawk and soar around the ship in the sky gracefully as they slowly, but surely got closer and closer to the port.

"I wonder how our next test would be like.." Kiyoko muttered.

The group continued to smile and stare at their upcoming destination, clothes and hair blowing in the calm wind.

"I can't wait to take on the next challenge!" Gon exclaimed, leaning over the rail.

"Careful, kid. You might fall back into the water again," Leorio stated straightforwardly.

"Right, that won't happen!" Gon said, giving a huge grin to everyone, causing them to smile back at him.

'This kid has too much impact on you three,' Kuromi muttered disgustedly.

'I know you'll open up to them all sooner or later,' Kiyoko thought.

'More like never.'

Kurapika looked over at the girl next to Leorio and began to wonder how she earned her disorder, curious if she actually minded the negative personal or was ever hurt by herself despite her smiling and outgoing display. Kiyoko felt a pair of eyes on her and curiously looked at the boy, halting her smile as she turned to face Kurapika. The boy caught the girl's bright eyes for a second and looked away after she gave a small confused smile.

'…? What was that about?' Kiyoko thought.

'Ha, he's probably planning to attack you soon cause of your split personality disorder,' Kuromi snickered.

'Maybe not.. It doesn't seem like it since he wasn't avoiding or shooting dirty looks at me earlier... And the tone in his voice earlier and just now sounded promising,' Kiyoko responded back, earning a click from Kuromi.

"Hey, Kiyoko, what do you think the next test is going to be like? Exciting, boring, challenging, mind blowing?" Gon asked out of the blue.

"Hmmm, I guess… surprising?" the girl asked instead of said.

"Surprising, huh? I bet all the tests we receive will be easy. After all, if anything happens I can always use my good looks and intelligent brain," Leorio bragged as he poked the sid of his head.

"Right…. I don't think so," Kurapika answered bluntly, earning a glare from the man as he smiled to himself along with the other two.

* * *

><p><strong>Kurapika's hair got longer in the Yorknew City Arc –lesigh- I preferred his hair in the Hunter Exam Arc, hehe. ANYWAYS, this fanfic with only be about the Hunter Exam Arc. I'll write about the other arcs next timeeee.<strong>

**WARNING: ****THIS IS A RANT DON'T READ IF YOU DON'T WANT. I JUST NEED TO GET IT OUT OF MY SYSTEM.**

**OKAY, so in my one of my classes, there are a lot of disrespectful students and I mean A LOT. I mean I don't care if you hate the teacher or not (I hate my teachers, but hey I don't do crap.) just respect them. They are adults after all. In class yesterday, two students began to argue to our teacher about seatings. IT'S JUST SEATINGS, CALM DOWN LADIES. OUR SEATS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE SWITCHED NEXT WEEK ANYWAYS. He ended up getting mad and switching ALL of our seats (I got the most crappy seat ever.) and then there were these, I don't know, 5 boys? Our teacher steps outside to photocopy some more worksheets, okay normal. NOT AT ALL. THEY START THROWING FKING PAPER BALLS AROUND THE GODDAMN ROOM AND STEALING SHT FROM OUR TEACHERS DESK. ONE OF THEM EVEN ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE PEOPLE'S GRADES AROUND. And then the teacher comes back and tries to explain the worksheets he finished copying. ONE OF THE OTHER STUDENTS BEGAN TO MOCK HIM. SERIOUSLY, HOW CHILDISH CAN YOU FAGGOTS BE?! WE ENDED UP WASTING THE ENTIRE PERIOD DOING NOTHING BUT GETTING LECTURED AND HAVING OUR DAMN SEATS CHANGED. I CAN'T DEAL WITH ANNOYING PESKY BTCHES AND, WELL LOOK AT THAT, IM STUCK IN BETWEEN THEM. **

**Guys, I'm sorry about my language. It's just been really stressful lately and my sprained wrist is killing me. **

_**~stormy003 **_


	4. Chapter 3

"Thank you for the ship ride," Kiyoko said politely, giving a smile to the captain as she disembarked the ship.

The captain nodded at the girl and watched the group slowly walk away from the port. Gon ran in front and faced the captain, sticking out his hand for a shake.

"Thanks, Captain!" he exclaimed as the captain accepted the gesture. "I had a great time during that ride!"

The old man smiled at the boy's comment and brought the hand he shook with up to the pipe in his mouth.

"I did too, young lad. As a token of my appreciation, I'll provide you some guidance."

Gon stopped smiling and stared at the man curiously. "…. Guidance? Like advice?"

The captain looked over to his left and took the pipe from his mouth into his hand.

"Look over there. You see that giant cedar tree on the hilltop?" he asked, taking his left hand from out of his pocket to point at the tree his was referring to.

"…. Uhuh."

"You should head over to that area first. It's another route to the exam site, shorter than the one you're actually suppose take," he told the boy, a stranger walking by to coincidentally hear the information.

"Shortcut? Alright! So, all I need to do is head for that tree over there! I'll be sure to do so, Captain!" the young boy exclaimed, unaware of the eavesdropper.

"Thank you!"

The captain smiled at the young boy and gave a wink. "Best of luck to you kids!"

"Yeah! Same goes to you!" Gon exclaimed as he ran and jumped, giving a small full twirl, dashing off to Dolle Harbor's main area and jumping again. "TAKE CAREEE!"

The man grinned at the retreating boy and saluted him with his hat.

'Don't you need to worry, Ging. Your son has grown into a very respectable young man.'

The eavesdropping man smirked as he watched Gon run off to his destination and decided to follow him unsuspected.

"Huh….. That's strange…." Leorio muttered.

"Hm? Why?" Gon asked, everyone directing their attention to the man.

"Well, according to that noticed I received, the exam we are planning to take is supposed to be held around Zaban City or so. Right now, we're right over here," Leorio explained, pointing at the area in the large map before them. "The tree would be in the opposite direction we are trying to get to."

"That's quite true.. We would be heading off the route and getting farther from the exam site if we went that way, don't you think?" Kiyoko asked curiously, lowering her level to Gon's height.

"You might have misheard him perchance?" Kurapika asked, staring at the young boy curiously.

"No, not at all.. He told me to head over to that cedar tree for sure," Gon replied to everyone.

"I see….." Kurapika replied, bringing a hand up to his chin.

"Also, this little note isn't any help!" Leorio stated, staring at the notice disappointedly. "Precisely WHERE in Zaban City are we supposed to head to?"

"Our assigned duty is to find the exam site right now, using a minimal portion of info we can," the Kurta boy responded blandly. "This is just another test before we are allowed to take the real Hunter exam."

Leorio stomped his foot and tried to hold in his anger. "I-I knew that…! I totally already knew all that!"

"Anyways, I'll go over there and have a look," Gon popped in.

"If the captain told Gon this, I'll believe to trust the two," Kiyoko answered, giving a smile to Gon.

Gon smiled back and began heading off to the direction he was told to go. "The captain must've had a reason to suggest this to us."

The other two boys watched the two participants head off in the direction the captain told Gon to head towards.

"Hey, hey… You guys serious?" Leorio asked, pointing over to the bus behind him. "The bus to Zaban is going to leave soon! We all should just take it!"

Gon waved at the two without looking back, continuing towards the cedar tree with Kiyoko to accompany him as Leorio continued to call after the two.

"H-HEY! Oh man.. He's got to learn that you can't trust every single person in this world…" Leorio said disappointedly, Kurapika suddenly taking interest in Gon's actions.

The teenage boy began to walk after the two with an interested smile on his face, leaving Leorio behind by himself.

"Hm? K-Kurapika! Hey!"

The boy continued to walk off to the direction of the cedar tree and didn't bother to look back.

"Gon's attitude and actions actually interests me more than that captain's guide. I'm going to head over there with the two," Kurapika answered as Leorio stuffed the small sheet of paper into his pocket inside his suit.

"Oh? Well, isn't that so?" he asked in a mocked tone.

"See you then. It wasn't that long, but nice knowing you three," he said, waving the younger attendees off and heading towards the bus.

'Guess that kid wasn't as independent as I'd thought of him to be… I'm going to take that damn bus!' Leorio muttered to himself.

'So, it was a trap….' the man overheard, causing his ear to twitch.

'It seems that none of the buses have made it to Zaban City… Rookies usually fail this part of the test since they're too naïve and gullible,' the unknown men continued to say.

Leorio froze in his spot for a while and began to sweat nervously after hearing the important information.

"W-WAITTTTTTTT! WAIT, WAIT,WAIT,WAIT! WAIT FOR MEEEE!" he called, running and jumping after the three that were already gone.

"Wellll, I knew you guys would be sad and lonely without me and it's not that exciting to travel by yourself, so I decided to stick with you three for a while longer, HAHAHA!" Leorio said, unaware of Kuromi's presence around them all.

"You found out the stupid buses were a trap," Kuromi stated, looking at the man unamused.

Leorio flinched as a violent shiver was sent down his spine by the girl's hard cold stare.

"Stop it, Kuromi…. Just give him a break already…." Kiyoko sighed, forcing herself to look ahead.

The man following behind the small group smirked and ran out in front of them unnoticed as Kuromi continued to shoot death glares at the frightened Leorio, Gon trying to get her back to her normal state and Kurapika watching them with amusement.

"Ahh!" a sudden yelp exclaimed.

Everyone jumped and looked up ahead of them to see a man sitting on the ground, holding at his ankle in pain.

"Are you alright, mister?" Gon asked, running up to the 'injured' man.

"Y-yeah… I think I just sprained my ankle.." he faked, pointing at a small gap next to him.

Kuromi lowered her eyelid and stared at the man suspiciously as Kiyoko remained to stare at the man blankly, taking in the tone of his voice in her head.

"Are you heading over to the same direction we are, sir?" Gon asked, pointing at the cedar tree. "We can help you get there if you like. I'm Gon! What's your name?"

The man looked at the boy with a surprised look on his face, smiling at Gon's offer.

"Yes, I'm heading over to the cedar tree for the test. My name's Matthew," the man said as Gon began to carry him onto his back.

Kiyoko quietly clicked her tongue to herself, her half still having a poker face on to hide her side of distrust, while Kuromi's half remained frowning hard at Matthew. Kurapika noticed anger emitting from the actual girl herself for the first time and not just with her negative persona who was releasing even more dangerous vibes than ever. The boy looked over at Matthew with a bothered looking face expression, not trusting the man either. As the group continued to travel up the mountain for a little longer, Leorio suddenly disappearing, Kurapika looked over his shoulder to check on Gon once again to see the lying man have a gloomy looking face on.

'Hey, I noticed the atmosphere around the two of you changed earlier..' Kurapika mumbled, shooting a glare at the man on Gon's back.

'Oh? So you've noticed?' Kiyoko asked, suddenly groaning in little pain.

'Hey, are you alright?' Kurapika asked, stopping in his track.

'Just.. great….' Kuromi growled. 'Kiyoko, can I take over? We're starting to deal damage to your body now.'

'I know that! If you want to be the one in control, then treat the others nicely except for that Matthew freak. I don't trust him,' Kiyoko muttered.

'It's a deal,' Kuromi said, taking full control over the body and staggering a little.

'Damage?' Kurapika repeated, holding Kuromi's shoulders before she fell.

'Yeah, physical and mental damage,' Kuromi said as the two began to walk again, the girl having an urge to shake the boy off.

"Does your leg still hurt, Matthew-san?" Gon asked ignorantly.

"Y-yeah… I think I sprained it pretty bad… I'm sorry, Gon, I wasn't familiar with the mountain's path," Matthew said.

"No, it's alright!" Gon replied gullibly.

"Ah! That's right! We're in the mountains right now! Wait right here for a minute, Matthew-san!" Gon exclaimed as he lowered the man onto the ground, Kurapika and Kuromi looking behind again.

"Huh? What's wrong, Gon?" he asked curiously.

Gon pointed a thumb behind him.

"There should be some medicinal herbs in the mountain.. I'll go look for some for you!" the young boy exclaimed, running off into the plants.

"Wh-what are you talking about, Gon?!" the man exclaimed as the other two watched him run off.

"We can't afford to waste any time for that…" he trailed off disappointedly.

Kurapika faced the man and held onto Kuromi's arm to support her.

"If you're in such a hurry, why don't you just go ahead by yourself? No need to be accompanied right?" the boy asked.

"I'm quite sure that you're the one wasting OUR time here, you freak," Kuromi added looking away.

"Wait, what?" Matthew asked.

"So long," Kurapika said, pulling the weakened girl with him.

"Have fun healing that 'injured' ankle of yours while we take that exam," Kuromi spat.

Matthew sat on the ground where Gon placed him for a little longer and then finally stood up.

'God damn it… So close too!' he thought to himself as he began to walk around. "Hey, don't leave me alone! Where are you, Gon?!"

"So about the damages you both suffer…" Kurapika picked up from the conversation they had.

"Ah, Kiyoko suffers that damage most. I suffer it too, but not as bad as her since this is her body. When we both are in control of the body at the same time, it takes a lot of energy and concentration to maintain in control of half her body. I don't need to do any of that, but I experience the same yet weaker pain she has, after all, I am her other self. If we kept up with that form any longer, Kiyoko would be the one to pass out and I would be the one with very little control over the body since SHE collapsed," Kuromi explained, knowing how Kiyoko's state is like right now. "That would also mean that I took on a lot of damage and won't be able to even lift up a finger, a chance of passing out as well."

"Oh? Then why do you always try to take control of her if you know about this?" Kurapika asked, sounding calm.

"Why don't you try to be like us? You wouldn't know how we feel just being in some dark and endless place with no one around only to know that the person you share a body with is experiencing everything you want to experience. Just think about that," the girl replied as she resisted pushing the boy away.

'Kiyoko, are you feeling alright?' Kuromi asked herself.

'I'm fine, just tired.. I might have a headache later though,' Kiyoko replied.

A sudden yell was heard from behind where the two left Matthew at, Kurapika deciding to walk over and check what was going on.

"I'm guessing you can't walk quickly, so take this as a helping hand," the boy said, picking up the girl bridal style and quickly walking off.

"A-AH! OI! WARNING NEXT TIME!" Kuromi exclaimed.

'You, beast! If you make a move, you'll be sorry you've ever attacked me!' Matthew's voice exclaimed, a rhino growling at him.

"Put those crappy things away!" Kurapika ordered once he reached the man, setting Kuromi back down.

Matthew took a glance over his shoulder; still have the weapons out in front of him.

"You can't even wield those properly, can you?" Kurapika asked boldly.

"You're just going to end up hurting yourself," Kuromi stated bluntly.

Gon suddenly appeared from the other side they stood at, walking towards the animal without any precaution.

"H-hey, hey, Gon!" Matthew exclaimed.

"It's way too unnerved. We don't have any other choice," Kurapika told the boy, pulling out his linked bokken swords and walking forward away from Kuromi.

"No, wait, Kurapika. It became this troubled because we all entered its area without knowing," Gon said.

"Just let him handle this," the girl groaned, allowing a hand to trail up to her forehead and the other clumsily grab at Kurapika's talbard.

The boy remained firm in his stance and grunted at the animal's furious nature.

"Calm down. It's okay, I won't do anything."

Grass began to faintly rustle behind Kurapika and Kuromi, Kuromi being the one to notice first.

"We don't intend to overstep your territory, so-"

"W-WAIT, DON'T DO IT, YOU IDIOT!" the girl yelled as she turned around quickly, putting her weight on the boy before her as she slipped a bit.

"Watch it! GON!" Leorio exclaimed, jumping over a surprised Kurapika and an annoyed Kuromi in the process.

"DAMN. YOU!" he exclaimed, swinging his briefcase at the poor thing.

Gon and Kurapika's face immediately switched to horror as Kuromi covered up her face and shook her head, disgruntled of his actions. Leorio stared at the now enraged animal with an idiotic face expression, immediately taking off as the rhino began to chase after him.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! D-DON'T COME THIS WAYYYYY!" he exclaimed, his face going blue.

"….. Where did he come from..?" Kurapika asked curiously, still holding onto his weapons as dirt clouds started to form.

"I have no idea.." Gon answered.

"This is amusing. Let's let the poor thing chase after the moron a little longer he deserved it.." Kuromi requested.

"I HEARD THATTTTTTT!" he yelled, climbing up a tree.

"That was all your fault, sooo…" Kuromi said, falling to the floor after standing up straight and letting go of her support.

'Oh, ow…' she muttered.

Gon walked over to where the rhino was standing, still growling at Leorio angrily.

"So, where were you?" Kurapika asked putting away his weapons and helping Kuromi back up.

"Hmm…. Well, I got separated by you guys.. I looked away for a brief second and next thing you know you all disappeared," Leorio said, smirking a bit.

"Oh? You seem pretty proud of something," Kuromi said, her eye lids lowered.

"Right, right… NOW PLEASE, GON, SEND THAT VICIOUS RHINO AWAY!" Leorio yelled frighteningly.

Gon allowed a wide smile spread across his face and turned over to the Rhino saying a few things to it before it headed off.

"Bye!" Gon exclaimed, waving at the animal.

"How long are we going to waste time here…?" Matthew asked impatiently as everyone looked over to him. "Someone may have got ahead of us and beat us to the area already. If we weren't wasting so much time fooling around like I mentioned before, we would've left the area without these problems."

"But it turned out to be nice though," Gon answered, walking to Leorio. "We were also able to find Leorio-san again and it also seems like your ankle healed a little."

"Aw, I'm very please for you, Matthew-san," Kurapika said sarcastically, making the man frown.

"Heh, I never knew injuries like sprained ankles could heal within minutes. And this is why you don't allow that idiot to try and come save the day, kids," Kuromi said boringly.

"H-HEY! AT LEAST I DID SOMETHING, UNLIKE YOU!" the man exclaimed, pointing at the tired looking girl.

"It's better than doing something stupid like hitting an already angered rhino."

'Kuromi…. Your promise.. Treat everyone, including Leorio-san, nicely, please,' Kiyoko requested once more in a very exhausted tone.

'Hey, Kiyoko. Are you sure you're alright? You don't seem fine and it's starting to affect me a little,' Kuromi said, looking at her leg that began to slowly lose feeling.

'Just.. fine..'

"Kurapika, you can let go of me now. I'm fine," the girl said not looking away from the ground.

"Hm? You sure?" he asked, slowly letting go.

"What? Now you need that guy to hold you up? Are you really that lazy?" Leorio said, smirking at his statement.

Kuromi didn't bother looking up from the ground, a slightly sad look coming upon her face before she grunted and glared at the floor, looking up slowly.

"When did I become the lazy one?" she asked, shooting a look at Kurapika to make him let go.

The boy sighed and fully removed his grip from her arm, allowing her to use a tree for support.

'Kuromi, you shouldn't let him get to you like that…' Kiyoko said.

'You tell me that and yet you don't even listen to yourself,' Kuromi fought back. 'Isn't that how I suddenly existed in this world? Because you let everything get to you and mix up your feelings and attitude?'

Kiyoko remained quiet, knowing her counterpart was correct with her reason.

"Let's hurry up and get to that exam site already…" Kuromi growled, trying to walk on her own and staggering with every step she took.

'Hmph. That brat..' Leorio muttered angrily.

Gon watched the girl carefully from behind and ran up to her after a little while.

"Kuromi? Are you okay? You don't lo-"

'I'm fine….' she muttered under her breath.

"But-"

"Gon, if I said I'm alright, then I'm alright!" the girl rose her voice, causing the Kurta boy to worry about her a little.

"Leorio, you know you'll regret saying all that to her if I told you why she needed help walking," the boy said, closing his eyes and crossing his arms on his chest.

"Regret? You saw her horrendous attitude! Why would I regret it when she deserved it?" he said, the girl overhearing the conversation.

Kuromi closed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth together, clenching and relaxing her fists. Gon noticed the sudden change in the usual demeanor she had, concern crossing his face.

"I don't think you'll understand, but it'll be up to the two of them to decide whether to tell you guys or not. She already told me cause they kind of had to," Kurapika said, shrugging a little.

"Like I'll have a sudden change in that little witch-"

Gon suddenly turned around and stared at Leorio with a calm face.

"Leorio-san, you should just give it up," he said, surprising everyone.

Kuromi lifted up her head and looked over to the young boy, her deep scarlet, close to crimson, eyes widening at the sudden defense.

'…. Kiyoko, when would you like to switch with me…?' Kuromi asked, feeling her throat hitch a little.

Kiyoko smiled calmly and stood up from the pitch black area.

'I'm guessing now would be a good time, am I correct?' the girl asked, switching with her negative personal.

Kiyoko groaned and stopped in her track, feeling like she was going to fall over within a second. Gon saw the swap this time and immediately grabbed at the girl's arm.

"Are you okay, Kiyoko?" he asked curiously as she covered up a dropping tear.

"A-ah, yeah, I'm alright. Just tired," she said, covering up for Kuromi. "Sorry, if she was really rude to you guys."

Gon smiled at the girl unaware of the tears coming from her right eye.

"It's alright! She wasn't really a bad person at all to us!" Gon said, Leorio clicking his tongue.

'Except for me,' he muttered.

'Thanks, Kiyoko. You're the best friend I could ever had even though I'm a violent and crappy person,' Kuromi said, smiling a decent smile for once as tears streamed down her face.

'Looks like Gon got to you. Use this exchange as time to calm down. Ask me whenever you want to switch with me, okay?' Kiyoko asked, chuckling a little.

"S-sorry, Gon, but I'm going to need you to support my body weight right now.." Kiyoko said, holding onto his shoulder and walking again.

"It's okay!" Gon said.

"Told you they both needed help," Kurapika said looking away.

'This is a very… eerie place…' Leorio said looking around the area as a crow cawed loudly upon their approach. 'It's very empty and I don't see a single soul here…'

"No, there are plenty here," Gon stated calmly as they all stopped in their tracks.

"Careful now.." Kurapika said.

"I hear quiet breathing and rustles of clothing around this spot… Do you?" Kiyoko asked.

"Unfortunately, no. BECAUSE I'M AN ORDINARY MAN!" Leorio exclaimed.

A gate suddenly began to open, causing the attendees to flinch and become cautious of their surroundings. The gate fully opened up as several people with many types of instruments on their persons pulled out a stage with an old woman sitting on it.

'Wh-what is with the freak show…?' Leorio muttered, Kiyoko shrugging at the question.

'Exciting….' the woman said.

"E-exciting?" Leorio repeated as a question.

"Exciting…." she repeated louder.

"Exciting," Leorio repeated again, staring intently at the old lady and gulping really hard.

"EXCITING TWO-CHOICE QUIZ!" she finally finished, opening her eyes wide.

The people next to her began to play their instruments after the sudden outburst, the crow cawing on cue. Everyone stared at the bunch blankly, a confused expression crossing their faces.

"You boys and girl are heading over for that tree on top of that hill, am I correct?" she asked after the commotion stopped. "To reach that tree, you all must pass through this town."

"Huh?" Gon said.

Kiyoko still had a blank expression on her face, blinking curiously as she listened to the woman.

"I shall direct a single-questioned quiz then."

Matthew had a smug look on his face as he thought out his plan.

'This is where I ditch these fools and set out booby traps…'

"W-wait. What's going on right now?" Leorio asked, looking around the empty town.

"You'll have five seconds to place an answer," the woman continued, ignoring Leorio's question. "Give me the wrong answer and you're barred from the exam, meaning you'll have to give up this year's Hunter Exam."

"I see…" Kurapika said calmly, smiling confidently. "Then this must be a part of the exam."

"I see how it is. I happen to be a quiz expert," Leorio bragged.

Kiyoko sighed at the man's answer and looked over her shoulder.

"Thing is you may never know what kind of questions she'll throw at us. Also it's a SINGLE-questioned quiz," the girl reminded him.

"Wait. ONLY ONE QUESTION?!" Leorio exclaimed, a frightened looking expression appearing on his face.

"Your answer will either be the number 1 or 2," she said, holding up the numbers with her fingers. "Any other answers will be considered incorrect."

"Hold up. ALL of us are sharing ONE QUESTION?"

"It'd be quicker, no?" the old lady answered.

"So, if this guy here answers wrong, then I'm disqualified also? Is that right?" Leorio asked to make sure, pointing at Kurapika and then to himself.

The boy lowered his eyelids at the man and turned around to face the other way.

"As if that would ever happen! For sure that's impossible!" he exclaimed as he crossed his arms, Gon smiling awkwardly and Kiyoko trying hard not to giggle. "What frightens me more is the high feasibility of the opposite happening. It brings me to the verge of tears," he continued, holding his arms up and shaking his head disappointedly.

Kiyoko broke into a little giggle fit and lost her balance, falling back onto her butt.

'A-AH! ARE YOU OKAY, KIYOKO?' Kuromi asked, knowing the girl hated pain.

'I'm fine, I'm fine!'

"What was that?!" Leorio exclaimed angrily as Kurapika crossed his arms again, still having the bored look on his face.

"But you know… This way's easier, since only one of us needs to know the answer! I'm not so good at thinking things out like this…" Gon stated, rubbing the back of his head embarrassedly.

'That's true…' Kiyoko said, still sitting on the floor.

'I suppose so….' Leorio said, staring at the Kurta.

'Fair point..' Kurapika said, staring back at the doctor-to-be man.

"I'll be passing by myself. Let me try first. Is that clear, Granny?" Matthew said, everyone looking over at him.

"You have quite the confidence right there.. You may try it," she answered, smiling casually.

"Then it's decided!" he exclaimed, looking over to the group. "I can't take a risk failing this quiz by taking it with you guys."

Everyone, but Gon, stared at the man coldly.

"Matthew-san?" the young boy asked.

"Sorry, but I was using you gullible idiots to get here in the first place, not to become pals with anyone. I just needed to reach this town safely. I am quite skillful at using my brain, you know? I don't have any business with you morons anymore."

Kiyoko's poker face changed into a deadly glare; one that the group never thought she could pull off, an eyebrow twitching in irritation a little.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY? DAMN YOU!" Leorio exclaimed in anger.

Kurapika calmed down a little and gave off a smile to the man.

"Leave him be. Hearing the question may give us a hint in advance as well." Kurapika said.

"True… But-"

"Let's finish this quickly, old woman!" Matthew exclaimed rudely.

"Alright, here's your question… Evil villains have captured your mother and lover. You have the choice to only save one or the other. Select 1 for your mother, or 2 for your lover," the woman said, holding up her fingers again. "Which will you save…?"

The group was taken by surprise from the question the old woman asked.

"H-how is this even a quiz?!" Leorio exclaimed angrily.

Matthew hit the red buzzer before him and looked straight at the lady on the stage, everyone looked at the man curiously.

"The answer is 1," he said, crossing his arms together.

"Oh? And why do you say that?" she asked, resting her chin on her hands.

"It's because you can't replace your mother, but you can always find another lover," he explained.

"What?" Leorio yelled.

The black crow at the stage cawed once after the answer was given. The old lady pointed her thumb to her right.

"You may pass…" she said.

"WHAT?!" Leorio yelled again.

'This quiz doesn't feel right,' Kuromi told Kiyoko.

'Agreed.. And that answer sounded really... messed up...'

"You just have to tell the granny what she wants to hear," Matthew told the group. "Adios."

Leorio was now angered by the old woman's response to Matthew's answer, swinging his arm out in front of him.

"HEY, THAT'S JUST BULL! HOW WAS THAT THE RIGHT ANSWER?! WE'RE ASKED TO GIVE AN ANSWER THE LADY WANTS AND IT'S TAKEN AS CORRECT?!" he exclaimed furiously.

Kurapika and Kiyoko looked at Leorio and listened to his rant as Gon crossed his arms together and began to think about the question himself.

"HEY, SAY SOMETHING!"

The crow gave another caw to the man as he furiously ranted some more.

"I WON'T REPLY TO ANY OF THESE FALSE QUESTIONS! I'LL GO FIND A DIFFERENT ROUTE!" he finished.

"It's too late," the lady finally replied, stopping Leorio from leaving. "Refuse to take this quiz and you'll also be disqualified."

"THAT'S JUST RIDICULOUS! DIFFERENT PEOPLE WOULD LOOK FOR DISCRETE ANSWERS!" he yelled even more enraged, pointing at the lady. "THERE. IS. NO. RIGHT. ANSWER!" he finished, bending and moving his fingers back and forth.

'Ah..! No.. right answer…' Kurapika muttered to himself. 'I see!'

'Hm? I think he's onto something,' Kiyoko thought.

The old woman noticed Kurapika's reaction and realized he found the answer.

"LEORIO!" the boy exclaimed.

"Wait!"

"Huh?" everyone, but Gon who was still thinking hard reacted.

'The cat-eyed boy has concluded the actual answer…' the old lady thought to herself.

"I don't want to hear another word from you. Say anything but the answer, and you're barred as well."

Leorio began to growl and looked around his surroundings.

'Open your eyes, Leorio. It's a simple answer… Gon…'

The boy looked at the two and then over to Kiyoko to see her writing a message on the dirt ground. The boy relaxed a little when he saw what she wrote. Silence.

"Here is your question…. Your son and daughter have been kidnapped. Just like before you may only save one or the other. Select 1 for your son, or 2 for your daughter," the woman said, lifting up her fingers. "Which will you rescue?"

Leorio growled and frowned hard at the lady, turning away to walk off somewhere.

'She's toying with us…'

"Five…"

Kurapika went over to Kiyoko and brushed away the answer with his feet quickly, helping her up from the floor right after.

"Four…"

'Go ahead and keep counting down, you old hag,' Leorio thought as he picked up a wooden stick from the side.

"Three… Two…"

Kurapika eyed Leorio carefully as he led Kiyoko over to the side of the building quickly, seeing the man swinging the stick repetitively and Gon still thinking.

"One… Buzz, Time's up."

Leorio immediately took action and jumped over to the stage to hit the old woman with the stick he picked up only to be stopped by the Kurta and his nunchaku. The stick broke once it made contact with Kurapika's weapon, scaring off the crow in the process.

"DON'T STOP ME, KURAPIKA! I WON'T BE SATISFIED UNTIL I'VE TAUGHT THIS HAG A LESSON!" he exclaimed angrily pushing the boy back.

"CALM DOWN, LEORIO!" Kurapika exclaimed as he pushed Leorio away, Kiyoko flinching at the entire scene before her.

"HOW AM I SUPPOSE TO CALM DOWN?!"

'This guy is an idiot…' Kuromi sighed.

"YOU'RE GOING TO LAVISH OUR CORRECT RESPONSE!" the boy yelled back, getting up to Leorio's face.

Leorio's expression immediately changed to confusion.

"Huh? Correct?" he repeated, Kiyoko shaking her head slowly.

"We gave her the right answer just now. Silence was the best answer to give," Kurapika told the man, putting away his bokken swords.

"Silence? What do you mean…?"

Kurapika crossed his arms together across his chest.

"You blurted out the answer when you were ranting earlier, not even aware that you said it out loud. Precisely, this quiz had no right answer. However, we could only say 1 or 2 as our answer and nothing else, but there was a third option, not responding to the question at all. Silence was the only answer we could give," Kurapika explained, putting a finger up to his lips.

"But what about that other freak, Matthew?" Leorio asked.

"They never said anything about him giving off the correct response. She only said, 'You may pass.' To put it simple, the path here is the wrong route to take."

Kiyoko smiled at the two that finally calmed down, not a single violent thought lingering in the air anymore.

"The answer Matthew gave earlier may have been the correct answer if this quiz was mainly about looking into your thoughts and opinions. Choices 1 and 2 were just probabilities of correct answers if the woman here was looking for logical reasoning like how Matthew said there can only be one mother and many lovers in the world, which is true, and if someone in the group said they'd save their son because they don't have a daughter or say daughter because their son can defend himself, that would be quite logical as well. These questions usually like to mess up people's brains really and didn't you hear a scream earlier during the quiz? That was probably Matthew falling into a trap," Kiyoko said.

"Well, am I correct with my explanation?" Kurapika asked the woman.

"Precisely.. The correct path to take is right over here," the lady said, walking over to the door beside her. "This path will lead you directly to the tree. Walk through here for 2 hours and you'll reach to the peak."

"Oh. So that's what this whole thing was about…" Leorio said cluelessly.

"A couple live in the cabin that rests beneath that tree. They serve as Navigators. If you meet their expectations, I believe they'll guide you over to the exam site," the lady said smiling.

Leorio dropped the broken stick beside him onto the ground as Kurapika went over and gave a piggyback ride to Kiyoko.

"Granny, I'm sorry for my rude behavior," Leorio apologized, bowing down a little.

"Don't be, I don't mind. I do this job because I enjoy meeting people like you guys."

"Huh?"

The old lady turned around to face Leorio with a smile on her face.

"Do your best to become an excellent hunter."

Leorio slowly gave a toothy grin and rubbed the side of his head embarrassedly, his smile changing to curiosity.

"Ahh…! It's no use! I can't think of an answer!" Gon complained.

Kiyoko giggled at the boy's sudden statement and calmed down right after.

"Gon, you don't need to think too hard about it anymore," the girl called, Leorio chuckling at him.

"You were still thinking of an answer? Well, like Kiyoko said, you can stop now!" Leorio said.

"Huh? Why?" the boy asked.

"The quiz is over now," Kurapika told the boy, propping the girl up higher onto his back.

"I know that. But… you know.. What if I, no, we ran into a situation like that and we can ONLY save one person? What WOULD you do then?"

The group looked at the boy surprisedly at this.

"It wouldn't be right to choose who to save, but one day we might have to make a choice like that…" Gon said in a serious tone.

'That is right.. That is the real purpose of this little quiz… you must be prepared to face the possibly worse case scenarios because harsh reality strikes without any warning.. You all must be prepared for the day your path divides…' the lady thought as the others waved and left.

"Hey, Kiyoko?" Leorio called.

"Hm?" the girl hummed tiredly, resting her head beside Kurapika's.

"Is there something you would like to tell Gon and I about right now?"

* * *

><p><strong>Hey, late post I know. I took my first afternoon nap today and I was still really tired. d: Anyways, yeah, I might update later today and tomorrow too for my other fanfics, haha. <strong>

_**~stormy003 **_


	5. Chapter 4

"Something? Like what?" Kiyoko asked, trying to sound confused.

"Whatever you told Kurapika in the mountains," Leorio said.

"…. Hmmm? But that was Kuromi, not me.. She probably told him whatever it was because he shared his deepest secret to us all," Kiyoko reminded everyone. "Wouldn't that be a fair exchange?"

Kurapika stayed quiet as he listened to the girl talk, feeling her voice vibrating her small body on his back a little.

"True.. But it also seemed very important when Kurapika mentioned it," Leorio fought back.

"Well, if you want to know…." Kiyoko trailed off, looking away.

'I know black magic…' she whispered, making the man stop and back away quickly.

The group laughed at the man's reaction after Kiyoko told a lie to everyone.

"I'm just kidding, Leorio-san. It's something else, but are we going to travel like this and work together at the Hunters' Exam? If so, I'll tell you."

"Well, you said you'd be working with me! I think Kurapika and Leorio would tag along too since we don't know anyone else in that exam," Gon chimed.

'Are you sure you can trust them with this, Kiyoko?' Kuromi asked, curiously. 'You already know why I told Kurapika, but about the other two..'

'It's alright, I trust them,' Kiyoko answered.

"Alright then. I'll tell you everything you need to look out for, except for personals of course," the girl answered.

The girl caught a look of relief on Leorio's face when she agreed to tell the group more about the problem she bears.

"You already know about Kuromi and my split personality disorder, but you don't know it in details," Kiyoko started. "I got this disorder at a young age, around 6 or 7 I'm guessing, from abuse by random people."

"Abuse?" Gon asked. "For what? I heard about a girl that was described to look like you getting mistreated and all."

"O-oh, well, I'll get to that soon and that is probably me. Anywayssss….. It already takes a lot of willpower for me to alternate from me to her and the other way around, so when Kuromi and I are present at the same time, I'm using most of my concentration and energy trying to keep in control of this body. If you've noticed, Kuromi is usually overpowering me in this state. If we both stay like that, half and half, for too long, my body would begin taking damage and pain physically and mentally, making me weaker by the time passing. It isn't too serious right now which makes my body unstable, but I may get a fever right then and there if the damage I suffer is… ehhh, not too low or high, and if it is high, then I may pass out right on the spot. Kuromi gets affected by this stuff as well, just not as heavy and risky as the effect is on me. I'm always the one to pass out first, leaving her vulnerable and very weak. She is connected with me after all. She wouldn't even be able to move an inch if that were to happen. Having damage inflicted on my body is also possible if we substitute for each other too many times in a row," Kiyoko continued.

"I see, so that's why Blondie here was helping you the entire time," Leorio said understandingly.

"Who are you calling 'Blondie', Four-Eyes?" the boy shot back.

The two growled at each other, pressing their faces close to each other with brute force and looking away right after.

"Right… So, Kuromi will always be the one to control this body when I'm knocked out cold, but there's a possibility that she would pass out as well, maybe a 90 percent chance out of 100. The affect of headaches and being somewhat paralyzed for a brief moment would fade away slowly. Now, about being abused…. Uhh.. I don't know how to explain this without scaring anyone, but you might find out about the reason behind it sooner or later," Kiyoko said.

"You don't have to tell us everything in one go, so don't worry about that," Kurapika told the girl, propping her up again. "Besides, I think that's enough info about you despite just meeting you for about a day and a half."

Kiyoko nodded and looked at the other two boys to see them giving her wide grins in the dark tunnel.

"So, why do you usually alternate from yourself to Kuromi and vice versa?" Leorio asked.

"Hmm, Kuromi wants to see and experience the world herself too, you know. Of course I understand her wish well since I'm always switching with her. Think about this, 2 different people sharing a body, one having freedom and experiencing everything they want to experience while the other is stuck in a dark cold area, seeing what the other is being exposed to in this world through the eyes of the person. It sucks, really, since you want to be out in that world smiling and doing things YOU want to do," Kiyoko told the man.

Gon began to think about the girl's explanation about her alternation with Kuromi, his head starting to overheat from thinking too hard.

"A-ah, Gon! You don't need to think about this too hard!" the girl exclaimed, trying to cool down the boy's head.

"…. I wouldn't like that feeling either really…" Gon finally answered.

"Huh?"

"It just feels like you're being isolated by everything, right?" Kurapika asked, looking back at the girl on his back.

"….. Yeah.." she answered smiling sadly.

Kurapika turned over to look at the man next to him to see him looking at his feet.

"Regretting it now?"

Leorio snapped out of his train of thoughts and head locked the younger boy for a bit as Kurapika stomped on his foot several times, swinging his briefcase onto his shoulder right after.

"Pfft. Yeah, right…. Maybe just a little.." the man answered.

"Hahaha, don't worry, Leorio-san. No offense has been taken by us both," the girl lied.

'Hmph!' Kuromi grunted.

"This entire trip is going to take 2 hours, plenty of time for Kuromi and me to rest," Kiyoko assured the group.

"Kiyoko? Is there any other reason for you to take this Hunter Exam?" Gon asked.

'So many questions….' Kuromi complained.

'Oh, hush. Don't worry about it.'

"Not at all. I hate violence in general, but Kuromi is usually asking me to pick fights on others," Kiyoko answered.

"If you hate violence, does that mean you don't know any fighting techniques?" Leorio asked stupidly.

"…. Want to try me?" Kiyoko asked seriously.

"No.. Not at all.. I was.. joking.. yeah," the man answered frighteningly.

Kiyoko shook her head and giggled a little.

"I can fight. Kuromi usually takes care of the more out of hand type of fights though, that's all. Other than that, yes, I'm fairly skilled with combat and weapon wielding for one who hates violence and gore."

'Oh, we'll see about that,' Kurapika muttered, curious if what she said was true or just a cover up.

"You're getting heavy you know?" the boy lied, wanting to see the girl's reaction.

'Well, you didn't have to carry us in the first place!' Kuromi yelled angrily.

"Kuromi said that you didn't have to carry me before we left for the lone cedar tree. That's true, I could've held onto Gon and walk myself you know," Kiyoko told the boy, ignoring his rude comment.

"Fine then. If you're not thankful for my actions, suit yourself," Kurapika said in a relaxed tone, dropping Kiyoko to the floor and making her yelp in pain.

'Geez, a little warning next time…' Kiyoko whimpered before switching with a pissed off Kuromi for a little.

"HEY! CAREFUL, PRETTY BOY! KIYOKO HATES PAIN AND CAN'T TAKE MUCH OF IT, SO YOU BETTER APOLOGIZE TO HER!" Kuromi yelled.

"Oh? If she hates and can't take much of pain, then why is she here in the first place?" Kurapika asked casually.

"IT'S CAUSE I MADE HER COME HERE, OBVIOUSLY! .. Douche bag.."

The girl switched back to her original self and stood up a little uneasy, getting swept up by Kurapika again bridal style.

"A-ah! A-are you going to drop me again?" Kiyoko asked, getting ready to pull out her staff.

"No, don't worry about that. Just proving that you still can't walk yet," he answered sternly.

Kiyoko's face remained calm as she decided to slap the boy's arm instead of whacking him with her weapon.

"How rude... So much for proof.." Kiyoko said, hiding her displeased face.

Kurapika noticed her puffed out cheeks and smiled at the reaction he got out of her.

'I was expecting more of a violent lecture and some kicking and punching coming out of her, but I guess she will never get mad,' the boy thought in a pleased way. 'Maybe I can bare with her and Gon, but Leorio...'

'I may hate pain, but it doesn't mean I'm like those frail little girls..' the girl mumbled.

"Hey, Kurapika? That woman spoke about 'navigators'. What is a navigator?" Gon asked curiously.

"Mm, the location for the exam changes every year. The navigator is the one to distinguish the exact location is and leads applicants with potential to the site. It's said that it's quite nearly impossible to reach the Exam Hall without their enlightment. We must find the navigator to be able to reach the area of the exam. And we must make them recognize our talents and skills…" Kurapika answered.

"Wow, that sounds really.. complex…" Gon said.

* * *

><p>"Are we there yet?" Leorio called, voice cracking in the process.<p>

"What if we said no?" Kiyoko asked jokingly, holding onto Gon's shoulder and Kurapika's talbard.

The man fell onto his knees on the hard floor, dropping his suitcase with him.

"'It'll take two hours walking,' she said? To hell it was already two hours like two hours ago! Damn!" Leorio cursed, about to let out a long rant.

"He's going to blow in 3… 2.. 1.." Kiyoko counted down.

"I'M HUNGRY! I NEED TO TAKE A DUMP AND I NEED TO LEAK TOO!" Leorio complained on cue.

"Leorio, we're going to leave you behind, so hurry up!" Gon called, Kurapika looking away with an annoyed expression.

Kiyoko let out a small laugh at the boy's reaction and tried to cover it up with her hand, looking away.

"What's so funny?" Kurapika asked, looking back ahead.

"Your reactions towards everything Leorio-san does! I really love the face expressions you make!" she said, trying to suppress her laugh as the boy blushed a bit.

'Thank god she can't see in the dark..' the boy thought awkwardly.

"Let's take a break, guys!" Leorio called.

"Hey, look! The exit is right there!" Gon said.

"WHAT?! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING?!" the man yelled, running up to the group before being left behind.

"… We got out of a long dark tunnel just to see a lake spread out in the area…. Are we supposed to swim across…?" he asked in an idiotic manner as they stepped outside.

"Hey, look! I found a boat over there!" Gon exclaimed.

* * *

><p>"Hey, water is starting to leak in," Leorio pointed out as Gon and Kurapika rowed the boat across the vast lake.<p>

"It's not a big problem… Just plug it up with your body or something until we get across this lake…" Kurapika sighed.

"Don't tell me… This is part of that Hunter Exam, isn't it?"

"Correcto," Kiyoko answered the man.

The group passed by a mysterious 'Beware of Magical Beasts!' sign on the way to their destination, everyone looking over to it as they passed by.

"It's one of those weird 'Beware of Magical Beasts' signs," the man said, scratching his head tiredly.

"Seems like it," the Kurta answered back.

"Say…. I've been thinking about this ever since now… How are we going to impress the navigator? I don't have a clue really," Gon decided to ask.

"Well, we can-"

"I guess it's our appearances!" Leorio interrupted Kurapika.

"… Appearance..? I don't think so.." Kiyoko said.

"It's definitely appearance. Sorry to point this out, Gon, but you don't have a chance at this. And as for you, Kurapika, you're not tall enough! I don't know about you, Kiyoko, but I guess as long you don't let Kuromi take over, you'd be fine. To sum things up, I'm the only one among us all who can impress the navigator," Leorio boasted.

The other three looked at each other curiously, Gon being the first one to ask.

"Is that right?" the innocent boy questioned.

Kurapika looked away and closed his eyes a little irritated.

"No…. Certainly not."

Kiyoko shook her head and looked away from the group and at the water's dark reflection.

"W-WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Leorio exclaimed angrily, putting a fist up in front of him.

"It'll take more than physical strength to prove it. Should be something else like…" the boy trailed off a little.

"Huh?"

"Knowledge and perceptiveness… As for you, Gon, think of something that makes you stand out most," he finished.

"Something that makes me stand out…? Uh…" Gon asked.

"You may have not noticed it yourself, but you excel in many things. Well, at least more than Leorio," Kurapika said, earning a groan from the man.

"For me, it's my courage. I wouldn't get frightened, no matter what monsters and beasts I confront," Leorio lied.

'Really..? I doubt that..' Kiyoko chuckled to herself, Kurapika and Gon smiling at her answer.

A dark silhouette suddenly appeared behind Leorio as Gon and Kurapika's eyes grew and their jaws dropped, Kiyoko turning around to see what it was, staring at it blankly as her face went pale.

"Huh?" the man asked, noticing something was off.

"Leorio… Behind you," Kurapika choked out.

"Behind me?"

Kiyoko brought her hand to her face and looked away from the shadow, trying to cover up her nervous presence.

"Y-you might want to look now before it's too late," the girl warned.

"Look," Gon said, pointing at the shadow in front of him.

Everyone was still staring at the mysterious shadow as Leorio finally decided to heed their warnings, turning around and looking up slowly. The strange animal suddenly roared, causing Leorio to scream at the top of his lungs frighteningly and row the boat as fast as he could. Kiyoko immediately shot over to the other two boys when the boat suddenly jolted at the speed they were going at, large waves being created on the way. Leorio wasn't looking at where they were heading over to and slid onto a rock like a ramp, causing the boat to fly and crash into land, Kurapika holding the girl and Gon close to him for impact before getting off.

'Is he really that scared…?' Kiyoko whispered, hanging onto Kurapika's neck as the man continued to row the air.

"Leorio," Gon called, causing him to stop rowing frantically.

Leorio blankly looked over to the side to see Gon and Kurapika standing next to the boat awkwardly, Kiyoko being set down by the Kurta boy as she blinked at the man's reaction.

"…. Here," the youngest boy said, casually handing over the man's suitcase.

* * *

><p>"Even this lake that is the size of the ocean can be crossed quickly if I row the boat," he said, trying to sound cool.<p>

Leorio dramatically turned around to see the others ignore him and try to decipher an ancient relic.

"HEY!"

"Is this a ruin?" Gon asked.

"It seems to be some sort of relic belonging to the ancient Sumi tribe.." Kurapika said.

"Can you read it?"

Kurapika skimmed the message as silence filled the air.

"Hmm… Many parts are absent, so I can't be too sure of this.. It looks like a warning for those who trespass this ruin," he answered.

"Interesting… But I don't think it would affect us or our travels.." Kiyoko said.

"Hey, forget about that message and where's that straight path the old lady told us?" Leorio said.

"That path? It's right over there," Gon said, pointing at the path.

"…. It just looks like a long twisting road to me… That old woman said it's a straight path," the man said, looking over at the winding path.

"A straight path doesn't actually mean that it leads us straight to our desired destination. Isn't that right, Gon? Kiyoko?" the boy asked.

"Yup!" Gon said as Kiyoko only nodded at the question and yawned a little.

"Thank you for your brief lesson, Smarty-pants," Leorio said disappointedly, walking off to the path with the others following.

A low growl came from a dark area near the relic, everyone being unaware that they were being carefully watched in the shadows by glowing red eyes as they continued their way to the cabin.

Crickets, an owl, and their own footsteps were heard clearly in the silent woods as they hiked up the long path without a word.

_'__Thump, thump, thump.' _

Leorio began to study the scenery they passed by as Kiyoko fumbled with the white bag she's been carrying on her left shoulder, a flock of bats screeching as they flew away.

"Are you certain that we'll be able to reach to the Exam Hall by doing this?" Leorio asked, finally breaking the long silence.

"Look, it's another of those weird warning signs we've been seeing. Hey, Gon! You're walking so poised, but I hope you're not bringing us all to a path filled with these magical animals!"

Kuromi sighed and grabbed her head tiredly.

'Will he ever shut up?' she groaned, pissed off with all the complaints the man gave.

Kiyoko then gave a long tired sigh as well.

"Don't worry. There are no traces of them anywhere," Gon assured him.

"Then why are there warning signs that's about magical animals everywhere?" Leorio grumbled loud enough for them to hear.

"…. Anyways…. How are you able to see so well in this darkness?" Kurapika interrupted.

"My house was located deep in the mountain on Whale Island. It's always pitch black at night," Gon told the boy.

"Oh? So that was your house up there?" Kiyoko asked, remembering how she came upon a small house at the mountain.

"Yeah! I think I saw you pass by it s few times before! But the atmosphere of the woods at night is completely different here…"

The young boy stopped walking and looked ahead curiously.

"Ah, I found it!"

"Oh?"

"There's the lone cedar tree right over there with that cabin located underneath it!" Kurapika said.

* * *

><p>Leorio knocked at the small log cabin's door repeatedly, earning no answer from the other side.<p>

"Hello? Anyone home?"

"Are they out?" Gon asked curiously.

"I really don't think they are… It's pretty late out here," Kiyoko said, putting her hands on her hips and leaning on a leg.

"It's strange how they're not here. The old woman said that a couple lives here… What should we do now?" Kurapika asked.

"It doesn't look like other applicants got here yet. Hehe, looks like we're first! Well, I'm going in," Leorio said, grabbing onto the door knob and turning it slowly.

The man incautiously pushed open the doors with Gon, revealing a dark room as the only light source, the moon, entered.

"We're coming in!"

The four took a few steps into the building, seeing broken items scattered all around the ground. A magical beast stood before them with a hostage in hand and a man lying on the floor in front of it. The beast began cackling and turned over to look at the group, the woman in its arm struggling to break free.

"I-it's a magical beast!" Leorio exclaimed, everyone getting into a battle stance and pulling out their weapons.

"A magical beast?!" Gon asked.

"A transforming magical beast, the Kiriko. They can take on human form, an intelligent creature as well!" Kurapika noted.

"When the hell did it get here?!" Kuromi asked, taking over half of Kiyoko's body.

"There's a woman in its arm!" Gon pointed out.

"And that guy on the floor needs medical attention immediately…" Leorio said.

The Kiriko leaped out of the window behind it, shattering the glass to make its escape into the woods. The group ran over to the shattered window to look out for the animal as the man on the floor began to groan.

"P-please… Please save my wife…!" he asked desperately, reaching out before him as Leorio began searching through his suitcase.

Gon immediately took actions and jumped out of the window he stood at while Kurapika took off his messenger bag.

"Leorio! We'll leave the injured man in your care! Kiyoko or Kuromi, I can't even tell right now… Stay here and help!" the boy ordered, jumping out the window after Gon.

"Got it!" Leorio exclaimed.

Kuromi clicked her tongue and knelt down next to the man.

"Fine, but we're coming after you once we sense something wrong!" Kuromi yelled.

'FINE, FINE,' Kurapika yelled in a distant.

"Now, let's get you treated right away," Kiyoko said as Kuromi disappeared.

'Oh? A person who can alternate into a different person? Interesting…' the man thought.

* * *

><p>The two boys chased after the Kiriko and it's hostage deeper into the woods, sprinting to catch up to the animal in front with their weapons out.<p>

Finally losing sight of the magical beast, Gon and Kurapika stopped in the middle of the woods as they searched for the animal. Gon caught sight of the Kiriko with the corner of his eyes and turned over to the area it headed off to.

"Over there!" the young boy exclaimed, running off after the Kiriko.

"What?!" Kurapika said, standing there surprised.

'Amazing.. He's able to track down and sense the movements of the vague shadow, even through this dark forest...' the boy thought, running after Gon.

The young boy leaped up into the trees and traveled on from there, jumping from branch to branch as they caught back up to the Kiriko.

'Impressive...'

"KIRIKO, LET HER GO!" Gon yelled as he lined up with the beast on one side.

"Heh, take her away from me, IF YOU CAN!" it taunted, leaping ahead.

Gon started at the magical beast with a surprised face in the air, failing to grab onto the branch above him as he struggled to reach out for it. The boy fell and landed back onto his feet unscathed, Kurapika looking behind him as he ran ahead of Gon.

"Wow, it can talk!" Gon exclaimed, waving his fishing rod in front of him ad he caught up with the teen in no time.

That magical beast, or the Kiriko, is able to use human speech. That's why it's a magical animal," Kurapika told the boy.

"Oh! Well, that makes things a lot easier!" Gone exclaimed, running and leaping back up ahead.

"HEY, STUPID KIRIKO!" Gon yelled, getting its attention.

"What?!" it exclaimed.

Gon took the chance to immediately land a blow onto the Kiriko while it was being distracted, jumping above quickly and hitting it hard on the head with his fishing rod.

'H-he's fast!' it thought nervously.

The Kiriko dropped its hostage from the attack, causing the girl to fall straight to the floor head first.

"Kurapika!" Gon called, the boy leaping up to catch the falling girl and landing onto the ground kneeling safely.

The boy sighed and looked back at the other two landing on the tree branches.

'He's so reckless..' Kurapika muttered, holding the unconscious girl bridal style.

"Damn kid.. You'll pay for this!" the Kiriko exclaimed as it held on to its head.

The animal immediately leaped away from the branch it stood on and ran off to another area.

"Wait!" Gon said, following the animal.

* * *

><p>"Hm? What's wrong, Kiyoko? Feeling uneasy again?" Leorio asked as he took out the wrapping bandages.<p>

"Yeah, but it's a different reason…" Kiyoko said, looking at the doorway they came through. "Something's here."

Leorio looked outside to see nothing there, but nature buried in shadows.

"I'll go check. I KNOW something is here with us.." the girl said, dropping her bag onto the floor, pulling out and extending her staff along the way. "Don't worry, mister, we'll get your wife back."

The man looked at the girl a little impressed at her instincts and nodded at her.

"Please.. My wife.." he repeated desperately.

The girl then dashed outside the cabin and swung her staff at a bush, making contact with a camouflaged body. The hidden beast appeared before her and held the shoulder Kiyoko made contact with in pain.

"Hey, watch it, girl! You barely missed my head!" it exclaimed.

Kiyoko gave an innocent smile to the magical beast.

"Hm, don't worry, next time I won't miss it," Kiyoko warned, swinging her staff again as the beast disappeared.

"How did you know it was there?!" Leorio exclaimed from inside.

"Just leave that one to me and continue treating the man. I'll be back soon," Kiyoko said, running off.

The girl jumped up to a tree and scouted the area carefully, dropping back down to the ground and landing on her knee and foot.

'Ah… Where did it go…?' the girl thought to herself. 'I wonder how Gon and Kurapika are doing..'

'You know, you sure think a lot, Kiyoko,' Kuromi pointed out.

'Shh, I think I hear it…'

Kiyoko gripped her staff tighter with both her hands, standing still to listen for any movement. The girl stood up straight from her position, aware of the animal behind her, and spun her staff with her left, gracefully tossing it over to her right to swing.

"Like I said, I won't miss next time," Kiyoko taunted, looking behind her to see the Kiriko grabbing its head.

"Let's play a game," the girl proposed, her voice clear from negativity.

"A game?" it asked confusedly.

Kiyoko smiled brightly and nodded, hiding her intimidated vibe from the beast before her.

"Yes, a game."

Kiyoko's appearance fully changed to Kuromi's, a playful smirked appearing on her face and her petrified aura disappearing.

"It's called 'Tag'. I'll be it, forever and always," the girl said, her voice turning cold.

The Kiriko's eyes widened a little and lowered back down immediately, not wanting to give the girl the reaction she was looking for. The girl immediately took off before it got to react and kicked the beast in its face, jabbing the staff into its stomach after landing the impact with her leg. The sudden powerful jab caused the Kiriko to fly off into a tree trunk, sliding back onto the ground on it's knee after colliding with it. The magical beast looked up to the negative girl with distaste as she gave an innocent smile to it before flashing a smile that struck a nerve of disturbance in the Kiriko's chest.

"This isn't even 'Tag' anymore!" it exclaimed, trying to attack the girl with its long claws and running off to a different area.

"Exactly," Kuromi said, wiping at the scratch she earned on her cheek.

A wide smile crossed the girl's face as she licked the blood away from her thumb and stood at her spot for a while to allow the Kiriko to get some distance.

'This girl, she's a devil!' the Kiriko muttered to itself, leaping up into a tree and looking back cautiously.

Kuromi followed the animal a few seconds later and leaped up to the tree the beast stood in. The girl jumped up behind it when it became unaware of her presence and she raised up her right leg high as she pushed off the ground hard, dropping a heavy kick on top of the beast's head once again, falling back down and landing onto the ground with it. The Kiriko made contact with the ground first on it's back as Kuromi landed on her foot and knee perfectly fine.

"I'll get you sooner or later…" it growled as it stood up and shook it's head painfully, disappearing once again before Kuromi landed another hit with her staff.

Kuromi clicked her tongue at its escape and began to dash forward to follow it, being stopped by Kiyoko.

'Leave it. For now. We need to get back to Leorio-san and the man back at the cabin soon. Kurapika and Gon will take care of this,' Kiyoko reminded her other self.

"That thing was boring anyways. Not even worthy to be my prey," Kuromi said bluntly, returning the body back to the owner.

The girl touched the cut on her face again and turned back to return to the cabin.

'Prey huh? Best not to label anything else as a prey.. This cut stings...' the girl thought.

'Really?' Kuromi asked sarcastically.

Kiyoko let out a chuckled at the sarcastic remark and walked off from the location they ended up at.

"Hopefully it isn't scared of playing games like 'Tag' after all this.. Next time, don't lick off the blood, please. I hate the metallic taste of blood," Kiyoko said, twirling her staff and tossing it back between hands.

Kuromi snickered at the mention of a beast fearing a small childish game.

Kiyoko entered the now lit up cabin when Leorio was injecting medicine into the man's arm. The man winced at the shot of antibiotics and relaxed his face right after it was pulled out.

"I wish I didn't see that…." Kiyoko said, looking at the shattered window as she got closer to the two.

The two men looked up to see the girl entering the cabin casually, the extended staff still in her hand and a leaking scratch on her cheek.

"Oi, did you get the magical beast?" Leorio asked as he packed up the now unnecessary equipment and took out a cotton swab.

"Yes, but I allowed it to escape."

The man shot a scared look at the girl as she knelt down next to him.

"E-escape?! WHY?" he practically yelled.

"Don't worry, it's not the same Kiriko Gon and Kurapika were after. It hasn't done anything wrong yet, but I ended up attacking first before it did anything," Kiyoko answered as she allowed him to clean up her wound.

"Well, it still could kill us all, you know!" Leorio said. "And look, you have a pretty deep cut on your cheek!"

"… I think I was too harsh on it. Hmm, oh well. It needed a warning before it messed with us anyways."

Leorio sighed at the girl's calm answers and covered up her wound with a clean cotton patch and tape to hold it down.

"I wonder if Kurapika would kill you if he heard this.." Leorio said.

"If he was here, he wouldn't lecture me. Kurapika-kun barely even knows me and we warned him we would take actions if something strange was going on."

The two participants stared at each other silently, Kiyoko having the usual smile she displayed and Leorio glowering at the girl a little. Kiyoko didn't falter the expression on her face and tucked her staff back into her ribbon. The man stuck out his lower lip and looked away disappointingly as he closed up his brief case in defeat.

"...Anyways, this should be fine for now, but you need antibiotics for that injury" Leorio told the man. "Is there any Midoguda herbs that grow around here?"

"Yes, there is but… It's quite far and magical animals might be present," the man answered.

"How can I take the Hunter Exam if I'm afraid of those things?" Leorio said, earning a certain look from Kiyoko.

"But.. My wife.. My wife is…!" the man sobbed.

Kiyoko looked over to the man curiously as she took in the tone of his voice, observing it carefully.

'….. This is hard to tell… But I think he's hiding something…' Kuromi said.

"Don't worry, Gon and Kurapika went after them. They'll get her back safely and return shortly.." Leorio assured he man.

"Anyways, where is the place those herbs grow?"

Kiyoko smiled awkwardly and looked back outside the door. The man stopped crying and looked at Leorio and Kiyoko.

".. It grows near the base of a cliff in these woods. Just head straight from here."

"Alright, I'll be back soon then. Kiyoko look after him for me," the man instructed, running out the cabin with a basket and some supplies in hand.

"Okay," the girl answered.

The two sat quietly in the cabin until Kiyoko stood up and faced the 'injured' man.

"You're hiding something…. Aren't you?" Kiyoko suddenly asked. "I noticed that there are more than one Kirikos working together."

The man looked at the girl with wide eyes and immediately looked away.

"Hiding what?" he asked calmly, unaware of the girl's focus.

"I know you're hiding something, don't try to lie to me."

The man stared for a while and finally stood up, slowly walking out the open doorway of the cabin and stood on the porch for a bit.

'What is he..-'

The girl suddenly cut herself off as the man began to change into another Kiriko, flying off after Leorio.

"Crap! I should've seen that coming!" the girl said, running out to the front.

'Kiyoko, change to a Lynith to catch up with him quickly. The path ahead may be difficult for you to move fast,' Kuromi told the girl.

Kiyoko hesitantly thought about the suggestion and decided to obey, turning into the glowing white rabbit-lynx and dashing off to track Leorio's location with scent and sound.

* * *

><p>The beast flew up from behind Leorio and landed before the rope he used to climb down the cliff, grabbing it right after.<p>

'W-what?' Leorio asked himself.

Kiyoko sprinted off on the route up to the cliff Leorio was instructed to take and heard Leorio say something from the distance she was at.

'Hey you, magical beast! That wound was a fraud to trick us wasn't it?! It's so miserable that I treated you without knowing it!' Leorio said.

The girl was now at a hearing range where she was able to listen to Leorio's assumptions clearly, rushing over as quickly as possible.

'Wings! I hate flying freaks!' Kuromi complained.

"What are you talking about?" the beast asked.

"You're that husband at the cabin, aren't you?!" Leorio concluded. "That needle mark on your arm is proof!"

The beast's eyes widened as he looked over at his arm, Leorio pulling out his knife from his pocket to cut the basket on his back. The man threw the basket-filled herbs at the beast's face and pulled himself up from the cliff, running up and pointing his knife at its neck.

"It looks like the tide has been turned, game over for you," Leorio said.

Kiyoko finally reached the top and ran up to the two, pinning the Kiriko onto the floor with her scythe shaped tail as Leorio began to freak out.

"A-ANOTHER?!" he exclaimed pointing the knife over at the Lynith.

The girl returned back to normal, still having her tall ears and long tail present from the form earlier, and held up he hands defensively.

"Relax, it's just me. Not so much of a secret anymore, huh," Kiyoko said, waiting for the ears and tail to finally fade.

"No wonder we hate flying objects and animals... They get to cut through the sky.." Kiyoko said, running a hand through her hair. "Looks like you won't be able to pull off a trick on us now. I've locked you in place with my tail. One move and you'll be injured."

Cackling and laughter could be hear from a distance in the woods, Kiyoko's white ears twitching as the voice echoed all around. Kiyoko looked over to where the noise came from and smiled at the trapped Kiriko, her tails and ears finally fading. The girl help the magical beast up and stuck out her hand in front of the beast and herself.

"Looks like it's over," Kiyoko said as she waited for the animal to respond.

The magical beast stayed quiet for a second and nodded at her statement, returning back to the form of the husband and shaking her hand.

"Indeed it is."

* * *

><p>"Hm….. How many years have passed since someone was able to identify us?" one of the Kiriko asked.<p>

"I'm actually overjoyed!" the other replied.

'H-hey, can you tell the difference between their voices and appearances?" Leorio asked Kurapika and Kiyoko, leaning over and glancing over at the two with his arms crossed.

"No, not at all…" Kurapika answered, glancing back at the man.

"I'm out on this as well…" Kiyoko said, staring confusedly at the two Kirikos.

"You see, the husband was the one Kurapika and I beat up," the young boy said, pointing at the two beasts.

'And it looks like I took on the wife then..' Kiyoko muttered.

'….. Which one are you talking about…?' the group asked Gon confusedly.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are the navigators. Our family provides support for the Hunter Exam," the husband said.

"I'm their daughter!" the woman with the tattoos said, raising her hand.

"And I'm their son!" the man said, raising his.

"Wow, oh man, you had us fooled," Leorio said, lifting up his arms.

"You see, the Exam changes location every year. It's quite difficult to locate it," a Kiriko said, raising a finger up.

"So we Navigators help by escorting attendees to the site," the other added, doing the same thing as the last.

"Oh, so that's how it works…" Gon said in an amazed tone.

"But the thing is we don't help every single candidate. We have to test them first to see if they are eligible for the exam, " the daughter said. "Kurapika-dono."

"Yes," the boy answered.

"You've successfully used the most indistinct hints to dictate that we weren't a married couple. These tattoos were the hints, which mark a woman a single for life in this region," the girl said rubbing at the tattoo. "Kurapika-dono displayed that he is very intelligent, therefore he passes."

The group sighed at the news in relief. "Good job, Kurapika!" Gon exclaimed, raising a fist up.

"Thanks," the boy replied, bumping his fist with the younger boy.

"Leorio-dono."

"Y-yes!" the man said stiffly.

"You never actually realized my true identity like Kiyoko-dono," the son said, making the man freak out and his sister laugh. "However, you dressed my injuries quicker and very precise than any other doctors. More importantly, you continued to reassure me that my wife was safe."

"S-stop it… That's embarrassing.." the man said, modestly pushing up his glasses and looking away.

The group smiled at Leorio's reaction and continued to listen to the results of their test.

"You're kindness makes you eligible to take the exam. Thereby, you also pass," the man finished.

"R-really?" Leorio exclaimed.

'Thank god…' he sighed, dropping to the ground weakly.

"You did it!" Gon exclaimed, giving the same gesture to Leorio he gave to Kurapika.

The man sat on the floor and smiled, returning the fist bump to the boy while Kurapika watched the two.

"Like I said earlier, Kiyoko-dono, you seemed to catch on the act without any hints being displayed as well as being able to react quickly and landing a blow on a hidden Kiriko."

"Oh right… Sorry about that…" Kiyoko apologized, bowing down to the family.

"You noticed I was hiding something from you and Leorio-dono, deciding to go after me to protect Leorio even if you put your life on the line as a beast yourself," the son hinted. "A sparing and benevolent spirit you are."

Kiyoko nodded and looked away awkwardly at the mention of her ability.

"A beast?" Kurapika asked curiously.

"What does he mean?" Gon questioned the girl.

Leorio smiled at the girl and gestured her to do as she pleases.

"I have the ability to turn into a Lynith, a rabbit-lynx beast. Honestly, it feels like a curse because only a few people can turn into one," she told everyone, turning into a Lynith and back.

"It's good to have a heart to protect everyone you trust that's around you, so I'd say you pass," the man said.

"Oh, so you didn't use Kuromi, but that animal this time?" Gon asked, jumping at the girl as her tail straightened out at the surprise hug.

"But that's not all," the wife suddenly said, the group looking at her curiously.

"I also had a piece of her combat skills, very skillful indeed. You attacked my shoulder first as a warning, didn't you, Kiyoko-dono?" the Kiriko asked.

Kiyoko gave a small nod and allowed an apologetic smile cross her face once again.

"You were able to locate me once I entered the area near this cabin and you also have plenty of stealth to even scare me! You're fighting skills and calm demeanor is quiet useful for a lot of things. Your warning was able to make me think twice before acting, an impressive act indeed. You pass, Kiyoko-dono," the wife said.

"A-ah, right.. that wasn't all me," Kiyoko said, scratching her white ears as it finally began to fade.

"May I ask a question?" the son asked.

"Go ahead," Kiyoko answered.

"You seem to have the ability to switch between people, does that somehow give you different strengths and weak spots?"

Kiyoko shook her head and smiled.

"It's not an ability, it's actually a disorder," Kiyoko said, pointing at her head as she allowed Kuromi to take over. "I have split personalities. This here is Kuromi, the one who bears all negative feelings for me. She loves to take fights head on, unlike me. I never bothered fighting, so even I didn't know about my own strength until then. The second half of the chase was all on her."

The family hummed and nodded understandingly as Kuromi returned to her spirit form.

"I bid you good wishes to not suffer any bad damages," the daughter said with a smile.

"Thank you very much," the girl replied back, earning a nudge from each of the boys.

"And finally, Gon-dono," the husband said.

"Yes!" the boy exclaimed.

"Your superhuman physical skills and powers of observation make you honorable to take this Exam… You pass," the Kiriko concluded.

The group smiled at the boy's results and each gave a fist bump to each other, Kiyoko hugging the small boy as they did so.

"We will now take you to the Hunters' Exam site," the husband said, carrying Gon and Kiyoko in the air.

The wife carried, Kurapika while the son and daughter carried a struggling Leorio, everyone taking off into the night sky.

"Isn't it great that we all passed?" Gon asked everyone.

"It's way too early to celebrate. We've simply just earned the right to take the actual exam," Kurapika said.

"That's quite true-"

"What's wrong with celebrating just a little bit? We are advancing after all," Leorio asked, cutting off Kiyoko's sentence.

"Honestly… People like you really should think," Kurapika sighed disappointedly.

"Hey! Why must you always be such a smart-ass?!" Leorio exclaimed, kicking the air as he did so and dragging the two Kirikos down with him.

"Stop struggling! If we drop you, don't blame us but yourself!" the male Kiroko exclaimed.

Gon began to laugh at the scene before him as Kiyoko smiled and held in her giggle, Kurapika closing his eyes and looking away.

'Troublesome pest..' Kuromi said.

* * *

><p><strong>Is there anything I need to change or fix in my story(s)? Let me know! Also go ahead and criticize my work(s). C:<strong>

****Notes/Questions:**

**I would like to ask something:**

**Would it be better if I didn't follow the anime (1999 and 2011) for my story?**

**It seems unoriginal to follow the anime, right?**

**I was thinking about it and felt like if I followed the anime, people wouldn't find the story to be interesting. I'm sure other people did the same thing I did/am doing and it's starting to itch me a bit.**

**If I continue with the story as it is, should I change up the exams?**

**It wouldn't be as good as the original though, I'll say that much.**

**Would you like more of Kurapika's view on Kiyoko/Kuromi?**

**I'm starting to add in the other characters' point of view as well little by little.**

**I'm just curious about your thoughts and opinions. I'll update whenever I have time meaning updates are random, mainly during weekends at 12 AM or something. -I stay up pretty late to finish everything (homework, sketches, writing and proof reading my stories, doing chores)- Feel free to criticize my work anytime, I won't be bothered and will take it to mind. c:**

**Thanks for reading, I'll be sure to update soon! ^^ Might as well and delete this note in the future. -shrug-**

_**~stormy003**_


	6. Chapter 5

Finally arriving at their designated location, Zaban City, three of the Kirikos returned to the peak of the hill where the lone cedar tree sat while one of them, the son, stayed back to guide the group to the exam site. The said Kiriko returned to his human form and took out a piece of paper from his vest.

"Alright, let's go to the exam hall now," he said, motioning the applicants towards the crowd.

The group followed the man quietly to their destination; Kurapika close behind and looking ahead, Leorio behind the Kurta looking over to his left with his briefcase over his right shoulder, Kiyoko looking ahead following behind Leorio, and Gon right behind the girl, smiling brightly.

"The job of the navigators is to identify worthy challengers for the Hunter Exam and to lead them to the site," the man began to explain.

Gon began to look at his surroundings with excitement and awe, taking in everything he could with his two big brown eyes. The young boy tugged on Kiyoko's long flowing shirt, grabbing her attention, and began to point out strange looking items at random stalls.

"This also means that it would be exceedingly wearisome for a person to reach the halls without us navigators' help," the man finished, looking over his shoulder to look at the others, Gon wandering off.

"Hey, want to try one of these?" a man from a stand called.

Gon immediately dashed over to the stall and leaned over the counter in delight as he stared at the cooked panda-frog.

"It's Zaban's well-known Panda-Frog-On-A-Stick! A true delicacy!" he finished, Gon trying to push himself up higher to get a closer look.

The boy suddenly looked over to the front left and ran over to a young woman's stand to see her own products.

"Zaban's most precious and beautiful brooch! I bet you that it's a national treasure here," the lady told Gon.

"You know, this place is quite a shady place…." Leorio said, looking at the stalls and scenes before him.

"Profitable cities usually attracts all kinds of nasty people," Kurapika answered, dragging Kiyoko in between him and Leorio.

"Uwahhhh!" Gon let out as he began running around to check out other stalls.

"What are you doing, Gon? We're going!" Leorio said, everyone looking back to see the boy looking at more food.

"Okay!" the boy replied, running back to the group.

* * *

><p>As they got closer and closer to the examination site, Gon told and explained all the displayed items and food he saw to Kiyoko, making hand gestures to emphasize the entire explanation.<p>

"Tsubashi Town, 2510…. Let's see…. I found it. I believe that is the building of the exam hall," the man said as he looked at the paper in his hand and pointed blindly ahead.

"Huh?" Leorio said, everyone else grunting a little with surprise.

Gon's curious face expression switched into a wide smile as he looked at a tall fancy building before them all, sighing a little with awe.

"Uwahhhh! It's so tall!" he exclaimed childishly. "They have a really nice building!"

"Just like what I expected from the real hall! Even the entrance looks awesome!" Leorio exclaimed out of nowhere.

"It's so cool!" Gon chimed.

"So this is the exam site…." Leorio said. "This is what drags.."

"Tough hunter participants from the entire world…" Kurapika finished the sentence.

Kiyoko noticed the navigator walking away from the taller building and towards a shorter building, looking at everyone confusedly.

'Ah, uh.. Guys..? I don't…' the girl began quietly, sighing when no wonder heard her.

"My first shot to the Hunter Exam…. Was this how dad felt when he first set foot on site?" the boy asked, feeling adrenaline shoot through his veins.

"Hey, guys, that's not it," the navigator called.

Kiyoko looked away from everyone guiltily as the boys looked over to the navigator curiously.

"Hmm?" they all hummed confusedly.

"Over here."

"What?" they said again.

"The entrance is actually next door," the man said, pointing at a ramen shop.

Everyone looked over to the little shop curiously, disappointment rushing up to their chests as Kiyoko sighed at their reactions.

"WHATTT?" they exclaimed in sync.

"Whoa, wait. This isn't funny. Isn't that just an ordinary restaurant?" Leorio asked as he walked over to the man, the others tailing his back. "You can't be serious that Hunter participants from all around the world are to assemble here? Of all places?"

The navigator still had a smile spread across his face as they all turned their heads to face the shop.

"I do."

"Huh?" the boys said, jaws dropping open as they looked at the man.

"It's just that no one would think that the Hunter Exam, with the million plus candidates, is to be located in this ramen shop, right?" the navigator asked.

"T-that's true.." Leorio answered, everyone looking back at the shop.

The Kiriko walked up to the shop and slid the door open, motioning them all to come in.

"Welcome!" the chef called as the door closed shut.

"Good afternoon!" the woman at the counter greeted.

The customers looked over to the new visitors when they heard movement from the door and went back to eating right after. Leorio looked around the shop for a bit and frowned.

"Is the back room available?" the navigator asked.

"What will you have?" the cook asked, looking up from the frying food.

"The steak combo that open's your eyes to the light.. for four," he said, holding up his fingers.

Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, and Kiyoko stared at the two men confusedly and looked at each other for answers.

"For four….." he repeated slowly.

"How would you like them…?" the man in white asked as his face got serious.

"Grilled over a low flame, until cooked," the navigator said with a smirk, pointing a finger up.

"Got it, go ahead and allow yourselves into the back room," the chef accepted, looking back at the wide pan.

The navigator walked across the shop with the others following him through the aisle, Gon looking around curiously.

"Please, right this way!" the waiter said, showing the door to the group.

The navigator opened the door to the vacant room and allowed the four applicants to walk in first. The small room had a table in the center and three chairs surrounding it.

"Wait here," he said.

"Wait? Where are the others? Are you sure this is right?" Leorio asked.

"This is it. The appearance usually takes the participants by surprise."

"I can't wait for the steak combo!" Gon exclaimed, Kiyoko chuckling nervously at the boy.

"Gon, that was just a password for us to enter this room.." Kurapika told the child.

"Oh… So we don't get to eat anything?" he asked disappointedly, pouting a little.

"Looks like we don't," Kiyoko said, chuckling a little and patting Gon's shoulder lightly.

"One in every ten thousand…" the man suddenly said.

"Hmm?" Gon hummed, looking back behind him.

"That's the probability number of applicants who make it this far," the feminine looking boy continued, everyone looking behind them to look the man. "For first timers, you've all done extremely well. I'd be glad to help guide you again next year…. Catch these!" the navigator said, throwing a tag at all of them.

The four raised up their hands curiously; Leorio successfully catching numbers 403 and 406 and handing 406 to Kiyoko, Kurapika catching number 404, and Gon having number 405 land on his forehead. The group held their tags and looked at it blankly.

"Well, good luck."

Gon smiled at the man and stuck out his hand in between the two.

"Kiriko-san, thanks!"

The man looked at the boy confusedly and trailed his eyes to his stuck out hand, accepting the handshake and giving a smile at the four.

"You're very welcome. If we ever get the chance to, we'll see each other again. Good bye," he said, waving at them all and closing the door behind him.

'Huh, what?' the group muttered as the room suddenly began to shake a little and lower itself further down.

"It seems to be that this room is.. an elevator…" Kurapika noted.

'No really?' Kuromi muttered.

Everyone looked over to the boy's direction to see a count at the top of the elevator's back wall slowly adding up.

"I see…." Kiyoko said.

'That bastard… He meant that we're expected to fail the exam this year…' Leorio mumbled disappointedly, sitting in one of the chairs.

"Once every three years," Kurapika said, sitting down across from him.

"What was that?"

"It's the rate of which a rookie passes this exam," Kurapika answered.

"Eh?" Leorio said, leaning over a bit.

"It's that unusual?" Gon asked, sitting in the last empty seat after Kiyoko offered.

"Some can't tolerate the physical and mental strain in the exam. It's also no surprise for veterans to crush the rookies who inevitably never participate in the test a second time," Kurapika explained. "They can't deal with the physical beating they've gained."

'Physical and mental strains? Ha, those weaklings,' Kuromi said.

'Kuro…. They aren't like us where we deal with this every day, you know?' Kiyoko said.

"So I guess every attendees are willing to risk everything to become a hunter.." Gon said.

"That's pretty much it, Gon, and they all must have reasons to do so too," Kiyoko said, leaning onto the table.

"BUT OF COURSE, MY FRIENDS!" Leorio suddenly yelled, slamming his hands onto the table and causing the girl to remove her hands immediately. "HUNTERS MAKE THE MOST MONEY IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!"

Gon and Kiyoko stared at the man confusedly and blinked as they both grabbed onto the straps of the bag and backpack.

'Here comes Smart Mouth and Pesky McBastard,' Kuromi sighed.

'Kuromiii…'

"No!" Kurapika suddenly butted in, catching everyone's attention.

Gon raised an eyebrow at the sudden shout and looked at the teen curiously.

"Hunters are the most virtuous and honorable in this world!" Kurapika countered, trying hard not to raise his voice as he stood up from his own seat and slammed his hands on the table next.

"Grr….. Glory hog!" Leorio growled.

"Money-grubber!" Kurapika negated.

The two leaned closer to each other angrily, shifting their weight onto their arms for support on the table. Gon looked between the two with a blank expression written on his face, an eyebrow still raised up high with his lips part to an 'O'. Kiyoko looked at the two boys worriedly and sighed, leaving them alone.

"Gon! Listen…" Leorio said as he ran over to the boy and slammed his hand back onto the rotating tray in the center of the table.

The man leaned in uncomfortably close to the boy, making him panic a little and move back against Kiyoko's stomach involuntarily, Kiyoko holding onto his shoulder. The boy's face was written with disgust as Leorio continued to speak and spit a little with every word he hissed.

"Every year, over fifty hunters make it to the list of the world's HUNDRED RICHEST PEOPLE!" he said, raising his voice.

Kurapika grabbed onto the tray and rotated it to get the man away from the young boy and the girl.

"O-OHHH!" he said, sounding like he just got kicked at a certain spot boys wouldn't like to get kicked at.

Gon returned to his original position, sitting up straight, and looked at Kurapika listening to his explanation as Leorio glared at the teen.

"Hunters are correlated with hunting wild game and treasure, but they are all second-rate," the boy said. "True real hunters work to protect people and the natural orders of life!"

Leorio suddenly pounced at the two candidates that had nothing to do with the debate again, making Gon flinch at his action and lean back onto Kiyoko again. The girl's hair slowly became messed up and slid off her shoulder, onto her back as the surprise hand slams kept coming.

"Now, look here…. Once you've become a hunter, most countries will give you a free pass!" he exclaimed, leaning in even closer to the boy. "And that means no charge for the use of public provisions! How about those conveniences?!"

Kurapika grabbed onto the tray again and rotated it to remove the man from his place, allowing Gon to sit back up straight once more.

"Awughhh!"

"Hunters have many strenuous and crucial authorities," the boy fought back, pointing a finger up into the air," such as preserving cultural artifacts and endangered species as well as imprisoning wanted criminals and disreputable hunters."

Leorio ran back up to the young boy for a second time and planted his hands back onto the rotating tray.

"The fame and money…!" he exclaimed, Gon backing up once again. "That's why people desire to become hunters!"

The man looked over to Kurapika angrily and stayed in the position a little longer.

"Overwhelming intelligence, a healthy mind and body, uncompromising stance. THOSE ARE THE TRAITS ON WHICH HUNTERS SATISFY THEMSELVES WITH!" the Kurta said, finally letting the rest of his rage out and leaning in really close.

The two older applicants growled at each other as they moved their face closer to each other.

"GON! KIYOKO! WHAT DO YOU THINK?" the both of them exclaimed at the two, turning their heads to face them.

Kurapika and Leorio slammed a fist onto the table and leaned in as close as possible to the youngest boy and the only girl.

"WHICH KIND OF HUNTER DO YOU HOPE TO BE?!" they asked, never breaking the synchronization.

The young boy nervously held onto his backpack straps tightly, a hand holding onto Kiyoko's periwinkle shirt mindlessly, as he gave them both a nervous smile. Kiyoko looked frightened at the two's outbursts and allowed Kuromi to take over temporarily.

"Me? Answer: it'll remain unknown. And quit yelling, it's bothering Kiyoko, bird brains," Kuromi said, looking away with attitude.

Kurapika and Leorio glowered at the girl and returned their attentions to Gon right after.

"…E-eh…? W-well, when you put it that way…."

_'DING!'_

The elevator finally reached to B100 and halted to a complete stop.

"I think we've arrived," Kurapika said casually as Kuromi returned to Kiyoko's appearance.

"We'll continue this later," Leorio said, finally calming down.

"Haaaa…!"

Gon finally broke into a regular smile and gave a long relieved sigh, Kiyoko rubbing her head tiredly. The elevator doors opened up before the four to reveal a dark room filled with hunter applicants both vacant and rookies. All eyes were now on the four first timers as their presence became know to them all. The group stepped out of the elevator room and into the dark tense room, stopping at a spot near the closing elevator doors and looked around the entire area.

"Strange place down here…" Leorio said casually.

"They clearly contradict from those other applicants we saw at the port and in the city," Kurapika said. "Each is a master in their own right…"

The girl in the group began to fidget nervously with her bag straps, trying to ignore the discomforting vibe lingering in the air.

"Excuse me…" Gon began, walking forward to the crowd and holding his hand out a little.

Everyone glowered at the new arrivers for a bit and ignored them, looking away.

"Everyone here is really tense…" Gon said as the group stuck their tags onto their chest.

Kiyoko looked around nervously and hid behind Leorio, peaking at the others once in a while.

'If only there weren't so many people…. It's getting hot in here….' Kiyoko thought awkwardly.

'More like you're getting uncomfortable with those glares. Calm down, Kiyo.'

"Scared or something, Black Cat?" Leorio asked the girl, glaring at her a little.

Kiyoko jumped a little at the man's question and looked up at him innocently, but obviously unnerved. Leorio noticed the amber hue in her eyes and widened his eyes a bit.

"A-ah sorry, Kiyoko. I thought you were still Kuromi," the man apologized.

'D-do you really think I'm bad luck and heartless?' she asked quietly, trying to stand up straight, but failing to do so.

"N-no! Not at all!" he excused.

The girl, clearly still hurt and anxious, didn't take Leorio's words and walked over to Kurapika, lightly tugging at his talbard a little.

"Hm? What is it?" the boy asked, looking behind him curiously.

"I-is it alright if I stick with you for a bit, Kurapika-kun?" Kiyoko asked awkwardly, still looking at her surroundings and now adding Leorio into her lookout list.

Kurapika remained quiet and looked over at Leorio to see him rub the back of his neck guiltily. The boy suddenly sighed silently and looked back at the girl to see tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

"A-ah, what's wrong? Are you intimidated by these people? Did Leorio say something again?" the boy asked, putting his hands up in front of him frantically.

Kiyoko nodded an unnoticeable nod and rubbed her eyes, trying to calm down and get use to the atmosphere as the boy shot a glare at the man.

"Hmmm… You can stick with Gon or me if you like. Now calm down, you're too stiff," the boy said, patting the timid girl's head and giving a small smile.

"Be sure to wear your number tags on your chest at all times, guys, and be careful not to lose it!" a green being said, walking around the area.

"I haven't seen you guys around here before," a voice called, making an impotent Kiyoko jump and grab at Kurapika frighteningly.

"H-ha?! OOF!"

The four looked over behind them to see a fat man in blue sitting on a ledge at the top of the room.

"Hey!" he said, Kiyoko letting go of the boy and releasing a relief sigh.

"You can tell we're new?" Gon asked, everyone walking towards the big, but short man.

"More or less."

The man jumped off from where he sat and landed on the floor without a problem, walking over to the four.

"After all, this is going to be my thirty-fifth attempt," he told them, smiling brightly.

"THIRTY-FIFTH TIME?!" the group asked, Gon and Leorio practically yelling.

"Ah, well, you could say that I'm an exam veteran, so I know everyone's faces quiet well.." he said, putting a hand on his chest and the other up next to him.

'That's not something you should be bragging about….' Leorio muttered, leaning over to Kurapika.

'Indeed..' the boy agreed quietly.

Kiyoko stared at the man with an eyebrow raised at his statement.

"If you have any questions, feel free to ask!" the man offered.

"Thanks!" Gon said.

"The name's Tonpa," he introduced himself, offering a handshake to the young boy.

"I'm Gon! These are Kiyoko, Kurapika, and Leorio!" the boy introduced, turning over to look at them all.

The three behind Gon decided to give a small nod as to greet the stranger named Tonpa.

"Nice to meet you all!" he said, offering a handshake with them all as they accepted the gesture awkwardly, Leorio waving it off.

"There's so many people here…." Gon said, looking around.

"Well, with you guys around, that makes 406 participants here," the man pointed out.

"Hey, Tonpa-san, are there any others here who've taken on the exam multiple times like you?" Gon asked, looking back at the man.

"Well, I have the most experience here, but there are a few others," Tonpa began, pointing over to his right. "Take him as an example…. Number 255, Todo the wrestler."

The group looked over to where Tonpa was pointing at and saw an oversized man casually eating food with a frown on his face.

'He's frowned too much to the point where his face is stuck like that, haha!' Kuromi laughed.

"He's unequaled in brute strength and he's actually smarter than how he looks to be. On the opposite side, we have number 103," Tonpa said, now pointing to his left,"Bourbon, the snake charmer. He often holds resentments, so careful not to end up on his nasty side."

They all looked over to the left to see the man sitting at his spot quietly with his eyes closed. Bourbon's snake suddenly lifted its head up and hissed, sending a chill to Leorio and Kiyoko's body.

"Number 191, Bodoro, the kung-fu master. He may be getting old, but there isn't a better martial artist around here compared to him," Tonpa said, pointing at the old man.

'Kiyokooooo, he's boring meeeeeee,' Kuromi complained.

"And over there, you have the three brothers, Amori, Imori, and Umori. They perform consistently well together all thanks to their unbreakable teamwork," the man said, everyone looking at the color coded brothers.

"Last for now is number 384, Gerreta, the huntsman. He specializes in killing all types of creatures with just blow darts and a club," Tonpa pointed out, the group looking at the dark colored skin man as he fixed his club.

"There are a lot more, but these guys are the ones who took on the test most," Tonpa finished.

"Ehh…..!" Gon replied.

A tall man in dark colored clothing walked by the five participants silently and bumped his shoulder guard into a strange looking man's shoulder, ignoring the contact. Tonpa began telling more little info to the group as they suddenly heard a blood curdling scream from where the man was headed to. The crowd in the entire room curiously directed their line of sight to where the scream came from only to see the man's arms disintegrate to red bits of flowers.

"Oh, how remarkable…" a tall slim, but built man said, smirking at the sight before him. "It looks like his arms became flower petals… No smoke or mirror over here."

The red headed man uncrossed his arms and opened them up to show the crowd nothing in hand. Gon gasped and stared at the man with a shocked look across his face.

"Do take care.." the man said as he began to lower his voice, a smug look being formed. "When you bump into someone, you should, really, apologize.."

The crowd looked at the man disgustedly and kept away from him.

'Now that guy there is a creep,' Kuromi said, burning in the man's appearance.

"It looks like that psychopath is back again," Tonpa said, glowering at him.

"Again?" Gon asked, the group looking back at the man.

"Does that mean he took the exam last year as well?" Kurapika asked curiously, Leorio patting Kiyoko's trembling back.

"Number 44, Hisoka, the magician. Last year, he was a practical lock to pass the test until he decided to kill a proctor he despised and disabled about 20 other applicants," Tonpa explained.

"A-and they're allowing him to retake the exam this year after all that?!" Leorio exclaimed, accidentally shoving Kiyoko.

The boys looked at the frightened man as he balled up his hand into a fist tightly.

"W-WHOA!" the girl exclaimed, making contact with the floor.

"Of course… Every year, the examiners and test contents change and those new examiners are there to choose the new content. The devil himself could pass if that were the decision the examiners makes… That's just how this exam works," Tonpa replied. "Anyways no one likes him and you should stay away as well."

Gon and Kurapika helped the girl up as she rubbed her arms and face in pain.

'He looks dangerous, that's for sure…' Leorio muttered, earning a slap from Kuromi before she returned the body.

"Oh right..! A little something to indicate our companionship!" Tonpa exclaimed, digging through his messenger bag. "How about it?"

Kiyoko glanced at the man and frowned at his sudden exclaim while Gon smiled at the man ignorantly. Kurapika just stood there and stared at the man cautiously as he pulled out a can of juice.

"Oh, very much appreciated!" Leorio replied, turning to face Tonpa.

"It just happens to be that I was thirsty…." Leorio pointed out, accepting the can.

"Thanks!" Gon said, accepting the item from Tonpa.

"Thank you…." Kurapika said quietly.

Kiyoko took the can and nodded a small thanks as people in the crowd began to snicker and whisper to each other.

'It seems like they've fallen into his trap once again… Always playing the nice guy despite being the nastiest person here… Tonpa, the rookie crusher..' someone mumbled, no one catching their words.

"Well, best of luck to all of us!" Tonpa exclaimed, raising up his can.

The new participants rose up their own can of juice and made a toast with the man, bringing it back down right after. Everyone opened their cans as Kiyoko carefully eyed Tonpa and Kurapika looked over to the other two boys curiously.

'The juice I gave these idiots contains extremely heavy laxative… ' the man thought to himself.

'Hey, Kiyoko?' Kuromi asked. 'Are you really going to drink it? I mean you already know he's hiding something, after all he's filled with holes. Are you going to tell them?' Kuromi asked.

'Ehhh.. Of course I'm not going to drink it. Besides, Gon has incredible senses and Kurapika-kun probably caught on with this,' Kiyoko answered, looking over at the two.

'I doubt Mr. Greedy over there knows…' Kuromi snickered.

'Let him be. He'll be fine… I think.' Kiyoko held up her can close to her face and studied the smirking man, sighing at how obvious he could be. 'Really, even that Matthew guy kept the negative quality of his voice and face hidden.. This guy is just outright stupid, leaving it out in the open.'

Gon took a sip from the can and stopped, noticing something strange about the juice.

"Bwehh…." the young boy groaned, allowing the liquid to spill out of his mouth like a waterfall.

Tonpa's face expression changed to shock as he jumped at the reaction he earned.

"H-huh?!"

'See? Gon's fine,' Kiyoko told Kuromi.

"O-oh, oops!" the girl said, allowing her can of juice to slip out of her hand and spill all over the floor.

Kiyoko looked over to Leorio and saw him filling up his mouth with the contents, unaware of everything. The girl then looked over to Kurapika to see him stare at her curiously as she mouthed out 'It's a trap' to the boy, earning a hard look.

"Tonpa-san, I think the juice must've expired…. It tastes funky," the boy said, raising up his brows.

Leorio shot out all the liquid he took into his mouth after he heard the boy's statements, Kurapika looking over at the man.

"Seriously? That was close!" Leorio exclaimed, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

"H-huh, that's strange…! Hahaha…" Tonpa exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

Kiyoko looked at Leorio with disgust on her face and turned away.

'Impossible! It shouldn't have a scent or any other taste!' the man thought, looking at the group.

Gon pulled the can up to his eye to examine the juice, Kiyoko keeping watch just in case he injured himself while doing so, as Kurapika poured out the contents like nothing.

"I'M VERY SORRY!" Tonpa exclaimed, slapping his hands together and bowing down. "I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THEY'VE GONE BAD!"

"It's okay! You don't have to apologize!" Gon said. "Is your stomach feeling alright?"

'This boy…. IS SO SLOW!' Kuromi yelled.

'Well, it's… Gon..' Kiyoko said, trying and failing to think of an answer.

"Y-yes, I'm fine…" Tonpa responded.

"I've sampled all kinds of grasses and plants on the mountain, so I usually am able to taste when something's gone bad!" Gon said, smiling.

"R-really? Haha.. T-that's amazing, ahahaha…!" Tonpa stuttered, visible sweat forming on his face as he scratch his head nervously.

'Damn it, I just had to stumble across this mountain kid…' he thought.

"Again, sorry about that. Well then, I'll see you around..!" Tonpa said nervously, waving at the group and walking away.

'…. Talkative old man…' Leorio muttered.

Kiyoko looked at the floor to see the cans lying there and ignored the mess they made.

'You got that right..' she murmured back.

'Hey, Tonpa-san! Could I have some more of that juice?' a young boy's voice rang.

Kiyoko curiously looked over to where the voice came from as the boys began to talk to each other. A silver messy haired boy was seen with a yellow and red skateboard in his arm as he waved at the man and approached him.

'It must be my nerves, but I'm really thirsty!' he explained.

'EH? OH, SURE..!' Tonpa said neurotically.

'Strange kid…' Kiyoko mumbled.

"Hm? What was that?" Leorio asked.

"Oh! Nothing. Just thinking to myself," the girl replied.

An alarm clock was heard ringing violently behind the crowd in the room, everyone turning to look at what it was.

"Oh?"

The man with the alarm pulled its tongue to stop the noise from coming out as the wall began to lift up. From behind the lifting wall revealed a tall man with lavender hair in a dark purple suit, white dress shirt, and a very short red tie; the alarm being held by the chain in his right hand.

"The call for hunter applicants is now closed. I apologize for the wait. The hunter exam will now commence!" he announced proudly.

The applicants began to get worked up and felt an exciting feeling flow around their bodies, smiling confidently.

"Finally, the hunter exam starts!" Gon exclaimed.

"I'm starting to get nervous…." Leorio said, tugging at his tie.

'Well, I've been nervous…' Kiyoko thought.

"One last warning…. The hunter exam is extremely difficult and dangerous. If you are short on luck or ability, you could very well wind up gravely injured or even dead. Those who accept those risks please follow me," the man said, turning around and walking away in a strange way. "Those who are afraid of losing their life, please exit by the elevator behind you."

The crowd began to follow the man without any hesitation in their movement, multiple footsteps being produced. The man looked behind him to see all the participants walking right behind him, an intense aura lingering around the participants.

"Very well.. All 404 applicants will participate in Phase One," the man announced.

Gon, Kiyoko, Leorio, and Kurapika walked in the middle of the crowd looking straight ahead of them.

"Of course… No one turned around and left, I shouldn't be too surprised," Leorio said, looking around the area.

Gon glanced over at the man next to him, still having a serious look on his face.

'I was hoping for a few attendees to turn tail and hide…' he muttered.

The group took notice of the change in speed, walking faster to catch up with the man in front. Everyone in the tunnel began to jog lightly, aware that the strange man was walking faster without the need to run.

"W-what…?" Leorio asked.

"Are we….? The people in the front are starting to run," Gon said.

"He's picked up the pace," Kurapika pointed out.

"He's not even running or breaking a sweat…." Kiyoko said, catching a small glimpse of the man ahead.

"I forgot to introduce myself… I am Satotz, the examiner of Phase One. I am to lead you to the exam's second phase's testing site," Satotz introduced.

"Second phase? What about the first?" someone ahead exclaimed.

"It has already started."

'What? It's already begun? This is part of the test?' people muttered.

"You must follow me to the end of Phase One to participate in Phase Two. This IS the task of the first phase," the man explained, looking behind him.

"Follow you? Is that it?" Hanzo asked.

"Yes. I may not tell you where or when you must arrive. You must follow me to the very end."

"I see how it is…." Kurapika said.

"This test is weird," Gon stated.

"Nope, it's quite an ideal test to try on one," Kurapika answered.

"I expect that this is an endurance test… Fine by me. I'll be right behind you!" Leorio exclaimed.

"Many people are going to drop out in this test. By the looks of this tunnel, it'll take more than an hour to leave this place since it looks endless… Maybe three if possible.." Kiyoko said, looking around.

'That's true.. There is also the mental stress of not knowing how far and how long we'll run.. He's also testing our mental endurance, not just physical endurance alone..' Kurapika thought.

* * *

><p><em><strong>30 minutes later...<strong>_

"How long have we been running?" Gon asked all of a sudden.

"Mmmm…. About 30 minutes?" Kiyoko replied.

'Ughhh…. Ha.. ha….. I underestimated the Hunter Exam…' Leorio thought, sweating like a dog. 'Every person here is a monster! It's a gathering of monsters….!'

The same silver haired boy passed by Leorio without a sweat broken out, riding on his skateboard casually.

"H-HEY! WAIT UP, BRAT!" Leorio exclaimed, gaining the boy's attention.

"Hmm?" he hummed.

Kiyoko looked over to the left in front of her to see what was going on, seeing that same boy from earlier.

"You should show some respect to this exam!" Leorio exclaimed angrily.

"What do you mean?" the boy asked blankly.

"Why are you using a skateboard?! That's cheating!" the man shouted angrily, pointing at the board the boy was riding on.

"Why? How is this cheating?" the boy replied.

"Why..? THIS IS AN ENDURANCE TEST!" Leorio reasoned.

"No, it's not," Gon said.

"Huh?! Gon, what are you saying?!" the man asked.

"The proctor only said to follow and nothing else," the boy replied.

"WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON, EH?! WHICH ONE IS YOUR FRIEND, ME OR HIM?!" Leorio asked, fuming at the child.

'Friend?' the boy muttered.

"Quit yelling you're wasting you stamina! Besides, IT'S ANNOYING!" Kurapika shouted. "We can pretty much bring anything to the exam, no certain rules about that."

Leorio frowned at the boy.

'He's really obnoxious too!' he thought angrily.

The boy suddenly slowed down the board he was on and rode next to Gon.

"What is it?" Gon asked with a smile on his face.

"Hey, how old are you?" he asks curiously.

".. I'm twelve," Gon said confusedly.

'Hmmmm… Twelve.. We're the same age..' the boy thought.

"Hm?" Gon hummed, directing a clueless smiling at the boy.

"Guess I'll run as well then," the boy said, kicking his board up in the air and catching it.

"WOWW! THAT WAS COOL!" Gon exclaimed, running to the right side of the boy.

"Are you not going to use it anymore?"

The boy stared at Gon for a bit and then looked ahead.

"Ehh.."

Gon stared at the boy and then shrugged off the response he earned.

"I'm Gon! What's your name?"

"Killua," the silver haired boy said, glancing at Gon.

'Damn itttt…..! Making a fool out of me….!' Leorio growled.

* * *

><p><em><strong>4 hours later...<strong>_

'It's been around four hours ever since we began the exam… We must've traveled at least sixty kilometers by now. Just how much farther do we need to go?' Kurapika thought.

"Are you feeling alright?" Kurapika asked Kiyoko, slowing down a little.

"Y-yes.. I'm fine.. J-just not use to… running so much… at an adjusted… speed limit," Kiyoko said, panting a little.

"Besides, Kuro isn't doing anything, I'll switch with her sooner or later.." Kiyoko said.

"Kuro? You mean Kuromi?" the boy questioned, earning a nod from the girl.

"Idiot! I rather carry you then have you switch with her. Didn't you say it affects you even if it was a quick switch?"

Kiyoko had an apologetic face expression on and looked away quickly.

"Y-yes.. But I'll be fine, really.. I've switched with her once throughout this phase already," Kiyoko answered quietly.

The boy groaned and grabbed the girl's arm.

"No more switching until it's really needed! And I mean REALLY. Tell me when you're tired and I'll just bring you with me!" Kurapika said bluntly.

The girl's face had a little tint of pink on her face after hearing the boy's statement.

'Or you could just let me drop dead here, I guess…" she said a little quieter.

"Not at all. You've made it quiet far already."

'Who is he to tell us what to do?! HMPH! TELL CAT FACE THAT!' Kuromi grunted.

'Ah….. Kuromi just said that you shouldn't be ordering us around….' Kiyoko muttered awkwardly.

"Right…. But for starters… How old are you…?" the Kurta asked curiously.

"…. I'm sixteen.." Kiyoko answered, looking at her feet.

"Looks like I'll need to look out for you as well as Gon. I'm seventeen."

Kuromi growled and grabbed at her hair furiously.

'JUST AN AGE OLDER! DON'T GET TOO COCKY, KID!'

'Kuro…. An age older still means respect…' Kiyoko sighed.

'Leorio!' Gon exclaimed from a distance, causing the two to stop and looked back.

Leorio was panting heavily and sweating a bunch, kneeling on the ground exhausted.

"… Hm, I think he's fine. Let's go," Kurapika said, running off ahead.

"A-ah, right.." Kiyoko answered, following him.

"…. Screw that…!" Leorio suddenly said, dashing off right after.

"I'M GOING TO BECOME A HUNTER! DAMN IT ALLLLLL!" he yelled, breezing passed the two young testers.

Gon smiled and flung his fishing line over at the left back briefcase to retrieve it for the man, Killua having a surprised expression on his face.

"Oh…! COOL!" the boy suddenly exclaimed, grinning a wide grin.

"You should let me try that later!" Killua said as they both ran off.

"IF you let me try to use your skateboard, okay?" Gon responded.

"Say, I've been wondering…" Kurapika said.

"How are you able to tell when someone is lying or not? It's always been so… accurate.. Also how are you able to turn into that… Lynith I believe you said?"

The questions caught the girl off guard and made her trip over her own feet, the boy immediately catching her.

"T-thanks…. Uh, about that.. I can tell by the way a person talks. You've never told a lie about anything yet and I know this because the tone in your voice, it never shakes or falters. Tonpa on the other hand… When he offered the drinks to us and said 'indicate our companionship' and 'best of luck,' I took the time to allow his words to sink in. I heard nothing good about his voice, the tone was just dark and disgusting.. Maybe even dreadful.. He didn't even bother hiding it when he smirked at us, filled with holes I'll say. Everything else before he said that was true, besides when he offered to answer our questions, I wasn't paying attention to the little stuff, so I didn't catch it immediately," Kiyoko answered.

"That's kind of like me being able to tell stuff with my eyes.." Kurapika said thoughtfully.

"Now about the… 'other stuff..' I was born with it. I don't like mentioning it because people look at me differently once they find out. My brother always had to look out for me until he couldn't anymore," Kiyoko said.

"Anymore?"

"Uryuu-nii passed away. The abuse got out of hand when he did and that was how my split personality formed."

"... I'm sorry to hear that.." Kurapika said.

"It's alright, just as long you have the same outlook of me. My mother had the same ability and it was passed down to me. Only a few people have this ability, so I always think negatively about it like it's a curse. Usually gets passed down from one generation to the other, I guess, and my family seems to be one of the chosen few. If I were to have more than one child later in life, the ability would be passed down to one of them. It's not always the first baby to get the ability because my brother didn't get it and I ended up getting it. When the ability is passed down to the offspring the parent loses the ability to change into one. If I am to die now, the entire chain of the beast will be broken since I'm the one holding onto the Lynith's soul. It'll mend back together within years because those without the ability still have a bit of the beast's power in them. It doesn't affect my body at all which is lucky because if Kuromi decides to turn into it, I won't be able to take the damage they both inflict on me," Kiyoko explained.

"That's good. But when you turn back to normal, why do you still have your long white ears and that deadly looking tail of yours?" the Kurta asked, taking in all the information.

'Questions, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS!' Kuromi yelled. 'HE BETTER STAY AWAY FROM ME WHEN I'M PRESENT!'

"It's a side effect. It doesn't hurt me, but it tends to scare people off or get them turned against me…." the girl explained.

* * *

><p>'We've reached the eighty-kilometer mark. Now it's time to pick up the pace a little,' Satotz thought as he began to prance up the stairs without effort.<p>

"Gon, want to race to see who'll finish first?" Killua asked the boy.

"Sure! Loser has to buy dinner!" Gon said.

"Okay then, you're on!" Killua accepted.

"Ready…. Set.. GO!" the both of them yelled, sprinting ahead.

In the meantime, Leorio took off his tops and tied them around his waist, his tie flying loosely against his neck as he caught up to Kurapika and Kiyoko.

"Leorio, are you okay?" Kurapika asked.

Kiyoko's eyes widened and turned her head away immediately.

'Put on a shirt or something….!' she squeaked embarrassedly.

'THAT GUY GOTS SOME NERVE!' Kuromi yelled.

"SURE! JUST LOOK AT ME!" Leorio exclaimed.

"I DON'T THINK ANYONE WANTS TO LOOK AT YOU RIGHT NOW….!" Kiyoko stated bluntly, closing her eyes.

"WELL THEN! I realized that I was able to keep running if I didn't worry about how retarded I look! AUGHHHH!" the man yelled, running even faster.

Kurapika smiled at his answer and watched him run up the stairs quicker.

'I should probably follow his example..' the boy thought, taking off his talbard and stuffing it into his bag.

The boy grabbed Kiyoko's arm and picked up the pace to catch up with Leorio.

"U-UWAH!"

"Leorio! I have a question!" Kurapika began.

"What?" the man panted. "Is this too easy for you, Kurapika? Talking just wastes your energy!"

'Says the one who's been yelling and talking all this time,' Kuromi said boringly and in a mocked tone. 'Baaaaaka.'

"Are you really trying to become a hunter for money?" Kurapika asked, striking a switch in Leorio.

The man grunted and halted his smile, looking away from the two.

"You aren't, huh? We've only spent time together for a couple of days, but I seem to know you better than that."

Leorio groaned and glared at the floor next to him.

"Sure you have a disgusting attitude and you aren't too bright…." Kurapika said, ignoring the man's reactions.

Leorio glowered at the sight before him and screamed between clench teeth.

'Kurapika-kun… That might be going a little too far….?' Kiyoko whispered.

"But you're not a shallow person," Kurapika said, Leorio's face changing again. "I've seen many people who desired to live for money. You're nothing like them."

"Kheh! You and your logic, Doll Face!" the man said, not bothering to look back.

'He must've struck a nerve..' Kuromi said.

'Kuro, just listen..' Kiyoko sighed.

Kurapika looked at the floor a bit to think and back up to the man with a serious face.

"Scarlet eyes. That's why we Kurta people were targeted… The Kurta are known for our unique scarlet eyes. When we become excited, angry, our eyes will turn scarlet as if they were fire," the boy explained, causing both Leorio and Kiyoko to look at him shocked.

"The eyes in that scarlet state are appraised as one of the seven most magnificent hues in the world. They bid high prices in black markets.." Kurapika finished.

"That's why the Phantom Troupe attacked you?" Leorio asked.

"They gorged out and stole every single eye from my brethrens, my family's corpses," the boy replied, closing his eyes. "I can still hear their clouded eyes call out for me in desolation…"

Kiyoko had a sick look on her face and covered up her mouth trying hard not to imagine the scene as Leorio listened to the boy intently.

"I swear, I'll capture the damn troupe and reclaim the scarlet eyes of my clan!"

"So that's why you want to be a hunter...?" Leorio asked.

"Yeah, if I become one and earn rich patrons, I'll be able to gain access to the market's info," the boy responded.

"But then you'll have to swallow your pride and become one you despise most!" the man told the boy.

"The blow to my dignity is nothing compared to the suffering everyone in the Kurta clan sustained."

An awkward silence passed the three, heavy constant breathing being heard.

"Sorry, but I have no reputable cause," Leorio exclaimed.

"Huh?"

"I'm just after the money!" Leorio pointed out.

"Don't lie! Kiyoko, is he lying? He is isn't he?" Kurapika asked, looking over to see her sickened face. 'Crap, I forgot she hates violence and gore..'

"I'm not lying!" Leorio fought back.

"Do you actually believe that you can buy everything in the world with money?" Kurapika asked angrily.

"YOU BET! For the right offering price, you can not only for treasures, but dreams, hearts, and EVEN PEOPLE'S LIVES!" the man yelled furiously.

Kurapika took his response the wrong way and glared at him.

"TAKE THAT BACK, LEORIO! If you're insulting us Kurta again, I won't forgive you this time!"

Kiyoko finally snapped back to reality and grabbed Kurapika's hand on her arm.

"Kurapika-kun, I don't think-"

"Why…? I'm telling you the truth..! If I'd had the money that time, my FRIEND WOULDN'T HAVE DIED!" Leorio yelled, cutting of Kiyoko's sentence midway and allowing his rage out of him.

Kiyoko flinched at both of their stories and reasons and thought about her actual reason for this exam.

'That's kind of like me… Uryuu-nii passed away because of an accident and I'm here just to relieve Kuromi's bloodlust..'

Kurapika was taken aback as Leorio stuck out his lower lip angrily and looked away.

"An illness..?" the boy asked.

"….. It was a curable disease… The problem that stopped me from saving him was that the operation costs a fortune.. I WAS NAÏVE! I thought I had the ability to become a doctor…! I wanted to be able to cure kids with the same problems he had and say that it was free of charge!" the man continued to let out, Kurapika closing his eyes and frowning guiltily while Kiyoko looked at the two with concern.

"I could've told his parents that as well! That was my dream…! What a joke… Turns out that to become a doctor, you'd need EVEN MORE MONEY THAN THE OPERATION!" Leorio explained angrily, tears forming at the corner of his eyes as he retold the story and his mistake. "Got it now? This world runs on money! SO I WANT MONEY!"

"…. Leorio-san.." Kiyoko said quietly.

Panting was heard from behind the three as Gon and Killua caught up with them without a problem.

"Ah," Kurapika said, looking next to him.

"See you at the goal, Kurapika, Kiyoko!" Gon said.

"Catch you later, old man!" Killua said, smiling at everyone.

"I'M NOT OLD!" Leorio yelled. "I'M A TEENAGER, JUST LIKE YOU GUYS! I'M NINETEEN, GOD DAMN IT!"

The sudden outburst scarred the group members as they stared at the teen with shock and disbelief.

"HUH?"

"NO WAY!"

"SERIOUSLY?!"

"YOU'RE KIDDING!"

* * *

><p><strong>Haaa… Leorio's story is pretty sad, I mean Kurapika's is pretty depressing already, but Leorio's may have surpassed his. KURAPIKA SHOW MORE EMOTION NEXT TIME! Just kidding, hehe. I didn't indicate who was saying what at the end, but I'm sure you know which character is saying the which of the four dialogs in order at the end. XD I referred Kuromi as 'black cat' because people believe black cats are bad luck and they are also usually witchs' familiars, Kuromi being quite twisted at time and sending 'bad luck' to others on purpose.<strong>

**Now I think about it, my friends don't know that I write/read fanfics and none of them writes any or have any interest... ;u; Awkward….. If anyone would like to talk to me about anything, I'll be glad to chat anytime. ^^" I also have a Wattpad account with the same stories of course. Check it out if you like, my user is _lilyblizz_. Hope you guys are enjoying my stories! C:**

_**~stormy003 **_


	7. Chapter 6

Dozens of people began to drop dead on the stairs, giving up on the very first phase of the exam.

"Ha… ha….. I-I can't. Take another step…" a man said dropping dead onto the floor.

The man next to him continued to walk a little further before his legs gave up on him, panting heavily.

"Th-this… it is…." he said, falling face forward.

Gon and Killua sprinted passed the fallen men, bodies still untouched by their mental fatigue.

"I'm still astonished that you're able to keep up with me, Killua said, still sounding normal from all the running they did.

"Ah. Really?" Gon asked, a wide smile appearing his on his face as he chuckled and scratched the back of his head, pleased with the compliment.

Killua looked at the boy a little irritated and looked back ahead, unamused with the entire event.

'Or maybe it's just that everyone here is too slow…' the boy muttered, disappointedly.

Killua sighed and lowered his head to the floor, his hands still in his pockets, the skateboard still firm underneath his arm.

"Man… This Hunter Exam is going to be a breeze…. That's no fun!" the boy complained.

Gon looked over to his new friend curiously, Leorio's briefcase hitting against his backpack in rhythm.

"Hey, Killua? Why do you want to become a hunter?" the boy asked.

Killua lifted his head up and looked at the boy with a blank face.

"Oh, me? I'm really not that interested in becoming one," Killua answered.

"Huh?" Gon said.

"It was said that this exam was suppose to be really hard, well that's what I heard… So I thought it'd be amusingly fun! But no, this is just disappointing," Killua explained, smiling and closing his eyes as he did so.

Gon stared at the boy with his mouth slightly opened, taking in the reason Killua gave him.

"How about you?" Killua questioned. "Why is it that you want to become a hunter?"

"Well.. My dad is a hunter and so I wanted to become one also, just like he did," Gon told the boy.

The two boys slightly moved to the right to avoid the heavily breathing body in front of them.

"Hmmm?" the boy hummed. "What kind of hunter is he?"

"I don't know," Gon answered immediately.

Killua looked at the boy with shock, ducked his head low, and looked away from Gon, letting out a quick loud laugh.

"That's sort of weird!" he said.

"Really?" Gon asked curiously, looking at Killua.

Killua looked back over to Gon and smiled brightly at him.

"You want to be just like your dad and yet, you don't know anything about him?" the boy asked, amused.

Gon faced back forward, a smile still present on his face.

"I was raised by Mito-san at her house, so I've only seen my dad in old pictures," Gon said as they passed by a tired man.

"Who's Mito-san?"

Gon quickly glanced over to Killua.

"My aunt. Aunt Mito."

Killua furrowed his brows a little, his lips twitching downwards as well.

"Oh."

"My father took the Hunter Exam when he was twelve too! He passed the exam and became a hunter. After that, he left the island," Gon explained. "His decision is fine with me though! I want to know why he chose to become a hunter over being with me!"

Killua stared at the boy blankly again, pouting a bit with little interest.

"Hm?"

The boys looked over towards the light that began to shine inside the tunnel.

"The exit!" someone exclaimed.

"Whew! I can finally get out of this crappy dark tunnel!" another person said.

"You seem happy," Killua pointed out to Gon, glancing at the boy a bit.

"What about you? Aren't you happy too?" Gon asked the boy brightly.

Killua looked away and tried to hide his smile.

"Not really…. It's just an exit. What a boring test, it's not even worthy to be called a game!" Killua said, hiding his little excitement.

The boys went quiet for a little and stared at the exit curiously, allowing a challenging smile appear on their faces, sprinting off full speed ahead.

"You know, if you pass, you're able to become a hunter!" Gon reasoned.

"Still so eager to become one like your father…." Killua sighed.

Hope began to appear on everyone's faces as they all got closer and closer to the exit of the tunnel, wanting to get out of the area.

'Now let's see how many has made it this far…' Satotz thought, stopping at the very top of the stairs.

The man slowly turned around to see Gon and Killua pass by on either sides of him at the same time.

"GOALLL!" the both exclaimed in sync, the two fist pumping the air.

"YAY! I WIN!" Gon exclaimed brightly.

"What are you talking about? I was the faster one…" Killua corected.

"I was!" Gon fought back.

"No, I was!" Killua complained.

"I was faster, so YOU have to buy dinner!" Gon whined.

"NOPE! I WAS FASTER!" Killua refused. "That means YOU buy me dinner!"

The two continued to bicker with each other as Satotz stared at the boys with a straight face and nothing more.

'These kids are amazingly tough. It seems like they'll be likely to amuse me some more throughout this exam,' the man thought.

"But I was fasterrr!" Gon continued. "Hey, mister? Who was faster?"

"I dare say that you both traverse the exit's finish line simultaneously," the man stated casually.

"… Oh.. Then I'll buy you dinner!" Gon offered with a smile.

"Huh?" Killua said.

"Then you buy me dinner!" Gon reversed again, frowning at the boy.

"I don't get it….." Killua sighed, looking confused.

"Hey, Satotz-san? Is this where the second phase of the exam will take place?" Gon asked, ignoring his friend.

"No, we still have quite a way to go," the man told the boy.

"Oh…."

The two looked out into the distance again, only see fog around them.

"Wow… It's foggy…"

* * *

><p>A few more that still had the stamina to move finally made it out of the tunnel, feeling very tired and dizzy from running for so long. A thick fog covered the area where every participants entered one by one, only able to see the silhouettes of others Leorio finally made it outside to where every other attendees were standing feeling very off balanced, falling and making contact with the ground at the very top of the stairs, Kurapika and Kiyoko making it out right after. The man panted heavily and allowed his head to drop limp right after.<p>

"Hey, Kurapika," Gon greeted, Killua and Gon sitting near the exit.

Kurapika gave a quick wave to the boy and studied the foggy area.

"Is this our next destination?" the boy asked curiously, looking around.

"Nope. It isn't," Gon answered brightly.

"I see…"

Kiyoko whimpered a bit in disappointment.

"Don't tell me we have to travel further…." she whimpered.

"Are you okay?" Kurapika asked the girl next to him, panting a little.

"Y-yes, I'm fine…" she replied, trying hard not to collapse.

"You.. look like you're.. going to pass out.." Kurapika pointed out, letting go of her wrist and setting his hands on his hips.

"Maybe I will…" the girl chuckled tiredly, standing back up.

"Ah, the fog is fading," Kurapika pointed out.

"Really?" Gon asked, standing up from his spot.

A wide smile spread across his face as the fog slowly disappeared, revealing a clearer view of the outside.

"The Numere Wetlands, also known as Swindlers Swamp," Satotz told everyone. "We must cross these wetlands to reach the next phase of the exam."

Birds were heard in a distance from above them, their flapping wings barely audible to them.

'I'm somehow guessing that this requires more running….' Kiyoko thought to herself.

'I feel you..' Kuromi said.

'You barely had to run!' Kiyoko said.

"This area is the home to many bizarre and unique animals, many of them being sly, ravenous creatures that fool humans and prey upon them, turning them into fodder. Be very careful," Satotz instructed. "If you let them trick you… your dead."

Everyone groaned, shaken by the explanation the man told them, and stared at the man with wide eyes. A metal door from the tunnel began to close the exit as a man appeared out of nowhere from inside the tunnel, everyone turning back to look.

"H-HEY! W-WAIT FOR ME!" the man begged, falling onto the floor and reaching out to everyone.

Everyone watched in shock as Satotz continued to explain about the land with a straight face.

"These creatures of this wetland will use every trick in their book to fool their prey," Satotz continued, gaining everyone's attention. "An ecosystem where the creatures obtain their food through lies…. Hence the name…. Swindlers Swamp. You all must follow and stay really close to me so that none of you will be deceived."

Everyone stared at the man intently, concentrating on making out of the first phase alive.

"Like I said earlier, if you get tricked, you die."

"Ha, what a joke. That's something quite funny to say," Leorio said, Kurapika looking over at the half naked man.

"How will they trick us when we're expecting it? For sure we won't fall for it if we know they're out there."

"DON'T LET HIM FOOL YOU! IT'S A LIE!" a voice boomed, catching everyone's attention.

"I just said that they can't…." Leorio said, irritated.

"D-don't fall for it…." the voice said, a beat up looking man coming out from behind the tunnel.

"HE'S LYING TO YOU!" the man exclaimed, pointing at Satotz. "HE'S AN IMPOSTER! A FRAUD!"

Kiyoko gave a small interested smile at the man, Kurapika catching a glimpse of it.

'Is she smiling at this situation?' the boy thought. 'Strange girl…..'

"He isn't the proctor… I'm the real examiner!" the injured man said, pointing at himself.

"What's going on?" Leorio exclaimed.

'Oh? I thought he said they won't be able to deceive us?' Kuromi asked, smirking at Leorio.

'Interesting… I wonder if there is anyone who can tell this is a lie..' Kiyoko said, smiling an even bigger smile.

"A fake…? What does that mean?!" people began to say.

"Then who the hell is he…?" Hanzo asked, looking over to Satotz suspiciously.

"A fraud….?!"

Everyone continued to shoot dirty looks at the unshaken man as their suspicions began to rise.

"Which one is the real proctor then?" another person asked.

'This isn't good… Everyone here is feeling unsettled…. Did all that raucous running underground make them all edgy?' Kurapika thought nervously.

"Hey, mister!" Leorio suddenly exclaimed.

Kiyoko and Kurapika looked over to the bare man once he called out to the stranger, his tie still tied loosely around his neck.

"Do you have any proof? Proof that the guy over there is a poser?"

"Take a look at this..!" the man exclaimed, dragging out a wounded monkey.

"Wh-what is that?! Is that a magical beast…?" the group began to ask.

The monkey's eyes were rolled to the back of it's head, tongue hanging out of it's mouth. The creature's face looked exactly like Satotz, tricking everyone to believe the stranger's accuse. The group gasped at the sight in front of their eyes, getting even more suspicious with Satotz's identity.

"… Hey look.. it's face..!" a burly man pointed out.

"Ah! He looks just like Satotz-san!" Gon exclaimed, Killua not taking the man's accusation.

"It's a Man-Faced Ape, one of the creatures that reside in the Numere Wetlands!" the man exclaimed.

"A Man-Faced Ape?" Leorio asked, everyone frowning at the man.

Kiyoko continued to have a smile plastered on her face, amused with everyone's reactions.

'Those idiots sure have small brains…' Kuromi said, pulling up her hair and widening up her eyes with interest.

'Kuromi, behave.. They'll know sooner or later,' Kiyoko said.

"Man-Faced Apes love the flavor of fresh human flesh. However, their limbs are quite long and thin, making them quite weak," the strange man explained, Satotz unfazed by all the statements.

Everyone began to panic and sweat at the tension being sent at them.

"That's why they impersonate themselves as human beings. They fool humans into following them to the wetlands, where they end up teaming up with the other creatures to kill and consume them…. HE TOO IS THAT CREATURE! HE INTENDS TO TRAP EVERY APPLICANTS HERE AND KILL YOU ALL TO DEVOUR!" the man exclaimed with a smirk on his face, pointing at Satotz again.

'What..? Bastard….!' Leorio muttered angrily, Kurapika glancing over at the man with little suspicion.

"Now that it's been mentioned he sure looks like it and he certainly doesn't seem human nor walk like one…." Hanzo said, smirking at the man.

'Leorio, you disappoint me…' Kiyoko sighed mentally. 'Even that ninja guy doesn't know..'

Kuromi shook her head and raised up her arms, leveled with her shoulders like a scale.

'Idiots, I tell you,' Kuromi said.

"No wonder his running ability underground wasn't normal..!" Leorio stated.

Every applicant but Kurapika, Gon, Killua, Kiyoko, and Hisoka began to mob Satotz, a murderous intent leaking out of them all.

'A mob mentality… After going through the first destitution in as a group they've all formed a pledge… If I lose myself into that band, I won't be able to make an equitable perception,' Kurapika thought, his mind beginning to scramble.

'Oh, Bookworm is starting to lose his mind! Hehehe!" Kuromi giggled.

'And then there's Gon. Let's just watch,' Kiyoko told herself.

"Is this also a part of the exam too?" Gon asked, a little clueless with the event.

"Huh?" Kurapika said, looking at the boy.

"A test?" Leorio asked, turning over to Gon.

'Good going, Gon. Your comment changed the vibe around us,' the Kurta thought, glancing at the boy.

'Can't you tell, Gon? With that wild hunch of yours…' Leorio whispered loudly at the boy, glancing at the man behind him.

"Nope! Not at all!" the boy announced proudly.

The man's face crumbled as his head and body slightly descended with disappointment.

'Not at all, eh? You..' the man muttered.

"There's not a hint of unusual smell. If he's doing an impersonation, he's doing it quite well."

'Is that so…'

"Hey, what do you think, Kiyoko?" Kurapika asked.

"Me? I've been paying attention to that man over there," the girl said, pointing at the stranger, "and he's filled with holes. However, I haven't studied Satotz-san, so I can't be too sure yet. There CAN be two liars in the world after all, wouldn't you agree?"

Leorio gave a confused stare at the girl and sighed in defeat.

"Well then, there is another way to find out," Kurapika said, walking to the middle of the group. "If he is a veritable examiner, he should own a Hunter License."

"A license?" Gon asked.

"You see, only a hunter is competent with judging the aptitude of a hunter," Kurapika explained.

"Then does it mean… he's a hunter? Wow!" the young boy exclaimed, returning his attention to Satotz.

"He stole my Hunter License!" the stranger exclaimed.

"And so, another lie has been told," Kiyoko said, smiling brightly. "I'm sure a real examiner would be able to fend off a thief."

"Hey, is this really that entertaining to you?"Leorio asked, tugging at the girl's cheek.

"A-ahh! M-mayve?" Kiyoko answered nervously, grabbing the man's arm with bother her hands.

"HEY, HEY, HEY! OLD MAN, LET GO OR I'LL MURDER YOU!" Kuromi exclaimed, Kiyoko holding back her urge to attack.

The unanticipated threat surprised everyone around her, making them jump and look over to the two confusedly.

"Now, now! No violence, please!" the girl said with exertion.

Kurapika sighed and grabbed Leorio's arm, pulling his arm away from her face. Kiyoko took full control and chuckled nervously as she rubbed her face from the tug.

'Thanks…'

"He took me by surprise and stole everything!"

Everyone turned their heads back to the real examiner, their suspicions finally spilling out of their heads.

"I see," Kurapika said.

"Then that means possessing a license won't prove a single thing?" Leorio asked.

Cards suddenly flew at the stranger, directly hitting him and stabbing him like a knife, and at the real examiner, each card being caught swiftly and cleanly.

"HA?" Leorio exclaimed in shock.

The fake examiner slowly tipped backwards, falling backwards onto his back dead, the monkey falling down with him. Everyone stared at the dead man and back at the real examiner in shock, Hisoka shuffling the remaining cards in his card quickly. The entire group turned their heads and faced Hisoka with fright, his cards continued to be shuffled.

_'Fwwwwp… Fwwwwp…'_

"I see, I see…" the magician suddenly said, raising up an ace of spades in between his fingers.

"What are you doing?!" Leorio exclaimed, frightened by the man.

"That settles it then…. You're the real one. That was a lot quicker than just sitting here and asking questions, correct?"

The participants returned their attention to Satotz with confusion, the man still holding the cards in his hands. Satotz stared at everyone with his usual straight face and tossed the cards in his hands away from him.

'WHATTTTTTTTTTTTT? HE'S THE REAL EXAMINER?!' Hanzo exclaimed mentally, his jaw dropped and face covered in sweat.

The acting monkey blinked and took a glance at the group, still acting as if it was dead.

"Huh?" it hummed.

The monkey fully woke up and looked around a little, leaping away from everyone, thinking it could get away. Hisoka took the card from his hand and threw it at the creature, killing it in an instant.

"Examiners are hunters picked by the committee to perform this duty without pay," Hisoka explained. "Any hunter, bearing the title we seek, would be able to defend themselves from a mild attack like that."

"I shall take that as a compliment," Satotz said, his eyes closed. "However, if you attack me once more, for any certain circumstances, your attack will be reckoned ad rebellion. I WILL report you for turning against an examiner and you'll immediately be relieved from this exam. Are we clear?"

Hisoka closed his eyes and smirked at the man before him.

"Sure. I got it," the man said, walking away.

"It stinks…" Killua said.

"Huh?" Gon said.

"A hunter would never be deceived by the likes of a Man-Faced Ape," Kurapika said. "I found out he was an impostor when he said his license was stolen… Just like what Kiyoko said."

Kiyoko gave s mall shrug to the group that eyed her curiously and looked around to see other's reactions.

"Natural for me to know. Don't mind me," the girl chuckled.

"Still, that man over there, Hisoka, even attacked the examiner…"

"How long are you going to stare at that thing..?" Killua asked.

Gon didn't catch the question and muttered a 'yeah..'

"No need to feel bad about it. Hazardous entrapments like this are an ordinary part of life for them," Satotz reassured everyone. "Survival of the fittest is the rule of this marsh."

Vultures began to land on the dead man behind everyone and pecked at his flesh, eating it deliberately.

'Oh.. I think I'll be sick..' Kiyoko whimpered, her body slowly shrinking as she covered of her mouth and her face looking sick.

Kurapika took notice and pulled the girl behind him, covering up the sight as Leorio softly pat her back.

"It's alright, Kiyoko. Don't pay any attention to it," the man said.

Everyone continued to watch in horror as the creatures ate the freshly killed man.

'Nature sure can be an abominable thing to watch…..' Leorio mumbled disgustedly.

"So he was also a Man-Faced Ape.." Kurapika said.

"He strived to confuse the applicants, to lure some of you away," Satotz told everyone, walking off to the front of everyone.

"We can't lower our guard down," Killua said.

"Yeah," Gon said again.

"You will be meeting with such treachery on a regular basis," Satotz said, stopping in his track. "I believe that a large number of you were tricked into having doubts with my identity?"

Leorio and Hanzo laughed at themselves nervously and rubbed the back of their heads awkwardly.

'I totally didn't noticed,' the two men thought.

"Do you understand? If you lose sight of me in the fog of Numere Wetlands, you will fail and never reach the exam's second phase. Do keep that in mind," Satotz told everyone. "Then let's be on our way. Please, follow me."

Everyone began to run after the abnormally fast man, following him through the wetlands desperately.

* * *

><p>The fog began to grow a little more visible than earlier as they all progress through the area tiredly.<p>

"Tch. Here we go with another marathon.." Leorio complained.

"We're also running through the marsh this time. Running on wet grass and swamp mud requires a lot more energy than running on dry ground," Kurapika said.

Squishing noises from underneath the group's feet could be heard loud and clear every time their feet landed with their weight, mud being flung around them as they lifted up their feet and made contact with the ground once again.

"Kurapika-kun…. May I switch with Kuromi?" Kiyoko asked, aware of her own stamina.

"You may certainly not!" the boy replied sharply, tugging the girl forward and picking her up.

"You're just going to waste your energy this way!" Kiyoko exclaimed, quickly wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Okay, question time. Would you want to pass this phase while inflicting damages to your body and mind?" Kurapika asked, sounding a little harsh, but keeping calm.

".. No…?" Kiyoko whimpered, feeling a little threatened.

"Would you like to keep your promise and take on this test with Gon until the very end?"

"… Yes…"

"Would you want to fail this test even if you are exerting all your energy and effort on the very first phase just by switching back and forth with yourself?"

"… Do you have to ask me all this?" Kiyoko asked nervously.

"Answer my question, Kiyoko," the boy said.

"No. No I don't…"

"Alright, then allow us to be of assistance," Kurapika concluded.

"Kurapika, you were sounding a bit to harsh on her," Leorio pointed out, lowering his eye lids at the boy.

"I don't know how I can help you, but I'll deal with your injuries and health," Leorio told the girl, giving her a bright smile and a thumbs up.

Kiyoko smiled back and nodded.

'THAT JERKKKKK! WHY CAN'T I BE IN CONTROL? IT'S ONLY A SWIFT CHANGE. NO DAMAGE WILL BE INFLICTED AFTER THE SWITCH!' Kuromi screamed. 'QUICK, JUST SWITCH WITH ME!'

Kiyoko gave a mental chuckle and buried her face into the crook of Kurapika's neck.

'I'm afraid not. He's going to give me another lecture or something..' Kiyoko told Kuromi.

"Hm? Did I say or do something wrong?" Kurapika asked, earning Leorio's attention.

"Seriously...?" the man asked, earning a glare from Kurapika.

'No. It's nothing. You've done nothing wrong,' the girl muttered awkwardly, the man next to them stifling a laugh out of nowhere.

"Pay attention now! Be sure to stay close behind me!" Satotz instructed the group after a few minutes later.

'It's getting foggy again,' Killua told Gon from a distance.

"The fog is growing thicker… " Kurapika said.

"Kurapika-kun, you can let me down now," Kiyoko told the boy.

"Well, how are you going to do that? We're running for god's sake," Leorio told the girl.

Kiyoko took out her staff and extended it to it's fullest, seeing a silhouette of a rock.

"Loosen your grip on me, really quick," she instructed.

Kurapika hesitantly loosened his grip on the girl, being careful not to drop her.

"Eh? What are you planning to do?" Leorio asked, looking over at Kurapika and earning a shrug.

"This."

Kiyoko suddenly stuck out her staff and made contact with the base of the rock ahead of them, lifting herself up quickly before Kurapika got caught up in it.

"AH! CAREFUL!" Leorio said, speeding up to reach the girl.

'Seriously...! I can't read this girl's thoughts… One moment she's scared, the next she's smiling with enthusiasm and interest, and the next she's reckless! And then there's her counterpart, Kuromi… At least, Kiyoko isn't violent and rarely shows her reckless side…' Kurapika thought, slightly bothered by it.

The girl landed safely onto the ground and slipped, Leorio pulling her up before she fell.

"Carefullll! You don't want to get hurt now!" the man said, knocking the girl's head lightly.

"Sorry, sorry!"

Leorio slowed down his pace to match Kurapika's again and began exchanging sentences with each other.

'This girl is weird...' Leorio muttered.

'Really? I find her quite interesting though,' Kurapika whispered back, smiling a little.

'Whaaa? Really? How?' Leorio exclaimed quietly.

'Her split personality and ability to change to a beast. Her ability to seek truths and lies in a person's voice. The way she acts and covers up her actual personality,' Kurapika listed.

'Actual personality?' the man questioned.

'She's not the only one hiding something important...'

Kiyoko looked behind her to see the two smile and wave at her nervously.

'Strange, guys..' Kuromi muttered. 'It's a miracle that you lasted this long with them.'

'How about you?' Kiyoko muttered.

Kuromi clicked her tongue and ignored the question, going quiet right after.

'Uryuu-nii... Am I.. making the right decision?' Kiyoko thought worriedly. 'The decision to take this test and become a hunter? The decision to trust the boys I just met? The decision to let them to know more about me? And the decision to... dream..?'

* * *

><p><strong>Yerp. R&amp;R? Thanks for reading and for the favorites and follows! LOTSA LURVVVV, hahaha! Just kidding, just kidding, I'll be serious. Love all my supporters and readers!<strong>

_**~stormy003**_


	8. Chapter 7

'Gon.'

"Huh?"

'Let's... I think we should move up closer to the front...' Killua whispered.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want to lose sight of the examiner. It'd be bad if we lost sight of Satotz-san," Gon replied carelessly.

'That's none of my concern. I'm more disturbed by our surroundings and the people around us. We should gain some distance and get as far away from Hisoka as possible,' Killua said in the exact same tone as before.

"Wait, what?" the clueless boy said, looking over at Killua.

'Staying near him is too dangerous. He's looking for preys, having an urge to kill. He's going to take advantage of this heavy fog to murder a few participants."

The young boys continued to run at their pace as silence slowly caught up to them both.

"It looks like you want to ask me 'How do you know all that?' huh?" Killua asked casually. "It's that smell. I can smell it in the air."

"The smell?" Gon repeated.

'Yeah...' the sharp boy answered lowly.

"Hmmmm... I don't think he smells.." Gon said, looking over his shoulder.

"I DIDN'T MEAN HE REEKS, I MEANT SOMETHING ELSE!" Killua exclaimed. "He and I, we're both alike."

"But it sure doesn't look like it..." the boy trailed off.

"Well, that's only because I've been disguising myself all this time along with that monkey. I am perfectly hidden from everyone. You'll find out about me eventually." Killua replied.

"Ehh? KURAPIKA! LEORIO! KIYOKO! KILLUA SAID THAT WE ALL SHOULD ADVANCE TO THE FRONT!" Gon exclaimed, looking behind him.

Killua confused expression changed into a frown, the corner of his mouth slightly twitching with disbelief.

'Oi.. Can't you feel the tension rising around us...?' The boy asked.

"MORON! I WOULD'VE GONE TO THE FRONT A LONG TIME AGO IF I HAD A CHANCE TO!" Leorio answered back.

"EHHHHH? BUT YOU HAVE TO MOVE TO THE FRONT SOMEHOW!"

Kiyoko shook her head and smiled at the commotion.

"WELL, I CAN'T! I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STRENGTH!" Leorio reasoned.

'This guy.. No sense of suspense at all...'Killua muttered.

"Don't worry about us!" Kurapika responded.

"WHAT?" Gon questioned.

"We'll meet up with you both as soon as possible!" Kiyoko said, tucking her staff into her ribbon around her waist.

"Ehhhhh? Why do you sound closer to us than Kurapika and Leorio?"

"Let's go, Gon," Killua said, running ahead.

"Ah! W-wait for me!" the boy exclaimed, running after Killua.

Kiyoko chuckled and slowly isolated herself from the group near her, cautious with the dangerous tension engulfing her.

' Switch yet...?' Kuromi asked wearily.

'Patience, Kuro... The time will come,' Kiyoko said, earning a groan from herself. 'The fog has gotten too thick.. I've lost sight of the other two boys behind me...'

Kuromi groaned and stretched out her arms as if they were wings.

'You better be careful and stay on your feet. Bookworm and Four-Eyes aren't here to help you this time. Switch places with me when you want,' Kuromi told her positive self.

'Right... I''ll do just that...' Kiyoko thought.

Several screaming attendees could be heard in a distance as the girl continued to run cautiously.

'W-what's going on I wonder...?'

Footsteps were heard a few feet away from her passing by as quickly as possible. The girl looked around herself and sighed, still not able to see a single person in sight.

'Kiyo, stop! STOPPPPPP!'

The girl stopped and turned around to look out in front of her to see faint silhouettes running towards a few bright red looking strawberries and green balls of light.

"Has help come to get us? We're saved aren't we?" a man exclaimed, picking up his pace along with the others.

Their bodies suddenly dropped dead to the ground as their heads detached themselves cleanly.

'E-eh?' Kiyoko thought.

Kuromi's eyes widened with interest as she watched each participant slowly disappear, blush beginning to tint her cheeks.

'Interesting, interesting!' the negative girl exclaimed, leaning forward. 'Kiyoko, let's get a closer look!'

Kiyoko cringed at the sight and Kuromi's request, shaking head quickly.

'First, you stop me and then you tell me to get a closer look... Do you want us to get killed?' Kiyoko said, walking forward as slowly and cautiously as possible.

Several more participants caught up to the girl, passing by her quickly and suddenly disappeared ahead.

'Help has arrived!' another group exclaimed from behind.

'HEY, WAIT!' Kurapika exclaimed from afar.

"Is that Kiyoko?" Leorio asked as they got closer to the girl.

Kiyoko flinch when she heard her name and looked back to see the two older boys, stopping in her track.

"Kiyoko! Quick, get back!" Kurapika ordered.

A giant brown and tan tortoise with a crimson red and dark pink shell appeared from the fog and caught hold of the man next to the girl once she jumped away.

"W-what the...?!"

"AHH! H-HELP!" the captive exclaimed.

"Are you okay?" Leorio asked, holding the girl on either side of her shoulders.

"I'm fine.." Kiyoko answered, looking at the two boys with wide eyes.

The girl looked behind her to see the Noggin' Luggin' Tortoise bite down on the capture man, Leorio forcing her into his body immediately to cover her line of sight.

'T-that looks painful... and scary... Painfully scary...' the girl whispered into the man's bare body.

"Don't look, Kiyoko, you'll get scarred with that fragile mind of yours..." Leorio said, stroking her hair to calm her shaking body.

'Ew, ew, ew, DISGUSTING PEREVERT! LET GO!' Kuromi exclaimed. 'AT LEAST PUT ON A SHIRT FIRST!'

The girl continued to curl up her fingers on both her hands as she heard the man behind scream in pain and agony. Leorio hugged her tighter to cover up the clear screams she's been hearing, Kurapika looking at the two with unease. The other surviving participants began to yell and scatter, some getting caught by numbers of tortoises in the process.

"This looks bad..." Kurapika said, watching the men run.

The tortoises began to surround the three after ridding everyone else near them, circling them slowly and halting into a stop.

"I guess everyone at the rear have became separated from those in the front," the Kurta said calmly, backing up into Leorio and vice versa.

"How can you say that like it's none of our damn business?!" Leorio exclaimed, loosening his grip around Kiyoko.

More screaming and now explosions were heard around the area, trembling the earth a little.

'Dear Lord...' Kurapika mutter with surprise.

'This disturbs me greatly...' Kiyoko mumbles covering up her face with her hands.

One of the carnivorous creature suddenly lurched forward at the small group, Kurapika pulling Kiyoko away and Leorio diving to the side.

The tortoise went after Leorio after it's first attack, opening it's mouth wide to catch him. The man immediately grabbed a sharp thick stake and swung it in front of him before he got engulfed by the animal.

"LEORIO(-SAN)!" the two younger teens exclaimed.

Kuromi cracked a wide twisted grin as she twirled a lock of her lavender-red hair around an index finger.

'How entertaining! Let's see how he tends to evade it, successful or not," Kuromi giggled.

'How does this intrigue you so much?!' Kiyoko thought in horror still in Kurapika's grasp.

'How does this not intrigue you at all?' Kuromi countered.

The tortoise tried breaking the jagged stake into bits, but failed to do so and swung it's head around violently. Leorio began to lose his grip on the piece of wood and struggled to stay put.

"Stay here," Kurapika told the girl, leaping up into the air with force and creating a visible ripple of wind around him.

The boy pulled out his weapon from behind his back and held it up above him as he gradually fell and land on the tortoise's head, stabbing it's eye.

'Now that's brutal...' Kiyoko muttered, covering up her eyes and peaking through her fingers.

'Pshh, you have a weak stomach..' Kuromi said.

The tortoise roared in pain and released the stake in it's mouth as it swung it's head backwards. The man and the piece of wood flew out of it's mouth as Leorio landed on his butt in the grass, face twisted up in pain.

'Ouch...'

Kurapika landed back onto the ground with ease a few feet away from the man, unharmed.

"Leorio, here's an opportunity! Let's go, Kiyoko!" the boy said, running off.

Kiyoko nodded and ran off after the boy.

"Right..." Leorio said, standing up and following the two.

"We've fully lost sight of the front runners and examiner," Kurapika said, tucking his weapons back behind him.

"Which way should we go then?" Leorio asked.

Everyone went quiet and looked over to the youngest member of the newly formed group.

"W-what? Don't look at me! I'll probably get us all killed!" Kiyoko exclaimed, shying away from the boys.

"Aww, come on! Left or right? If you pick, I'll give you a hug!" Leorio bribed, blushing and grinning like a monkey.

"She won't want that from you," Kurapika stated bluntly, keeping a straight face.

The man growled a little and shot daggers at the boy.

"Besides, you're half naked. That'll make everything even creepier."

Kiyoko gave a nervous chuckle as they continued to bicker with each other childishly. Slowing down her movements into a halt, the girl began to study the environment, listening to the faint noises from nearby where the covered figures stood beside the group.

'Is that... HISOKA?!' Leorio whispered loudly.

'I HEARD HISOKA. WHAT?' Kuromi exclaimed, raising up her awareness.

Leorio and Kurapika saw the negativity leaking out of the girl's body and thought for a bit.

'Oh yeah, there's the other one too,' the two thought.

Everyone watched the mysterious man kill a mob surrounding him with a single card, Kurapika covering up Kiyoko's eyes. Hisoka looked over at the three and smirked, bloodlust written in his eyes.

"Oh? Look who we have here.. Would you like to join the game as well? Examination starts now. I'm the examiner and you're the attendees," the man said.

Hisoka's words and creepy sounding voice sent cold shivers down Kiyoko's spine. The man suddenly threw cards at the three, Kiyoko and Kurapika pulling out their weapons to deflect them. Leorio dodged the cards, but was hit by one in the shoulder.

"A-AHH! OWWW!" the man exclaimed.

The three teens were now separated from each other after the attack, standing in a defensive stance to react any moment.

"Hmmm, who should I examine first...?"

Hisoka, without warning, threw a card at Kiyoko's direction who just stood at her place.

"KIYOKO!" Kurapika exclaimed.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!" Leorio yelled.

The card flew passed her face, a few centimeters away from grazing her skin.

"Oh? And you didn't bother to dodge that?" Hisoka asked in an amused tone.

"I didn't need to. I knew it wasn't going to hit me," the girl replied, her body relaxed.

'And you call me crazy...' Kuromi muttered.

'Oh hush.'

The man gave a wider smirk, creeping out the girl more than ever.

'Whoa, dude go away,' Kuromi said, putting her arms up protectively.

The man threw another card at the girl, this time aiming straight at her body. The girl took action and deflected the card with her staff and dropped her arm back down.

'Hmm, very good.. Very good...' the man muttered.

'Hmm, scary.. very scary..' Kuromi mocked.

'Guys, we need to split up. We can't fight this psychopath..' Kurapika whispered. 'On my cue, we make a run for it.'

'But-' Leorio started, cutting himself off.

Hisoka slowly walk forward and held up a card in his hand, ready to throw it.

"NOW!" Kurapika exclaimed, everyone splitting up in different directions.

"Oh? Good choice... I'll stay here and wait for 10 seconds for your efforts. Until the time is up, I wonder who I should hunt down first.. Miss Dolly? Muscle Man? Or Feminine Cat Boy?" Hisoka named off.

Kiyoko stood at a distance and hid behind several plants and shrubs, panting hard to catch her breath.

'Geez, he's really scary...' Kiyoko muttered, sliding onto the floor.

'Be on your guard, Kiyo,' Kuromi said.

'Yeah, I got it, Kuro,' the girl answered back, cautiously looking behind her.

'HAAAAA!' Leorio hollered in a distance.

"Is he nuts?!" Kiyoko exclaimed, standing up and squinting to get a better look.

'It's like he wants to die!' Kuromi added.

"I'm going back. Kuromi, back me up," Kiyoko said, running back the way she came.

'YOU'RE GOING TO KILL YOURSELF! I'M, WELL, WE'RE TOO YOUNG TO DIE!'

"Not if you're here and he's in need of help anyways!"

Reaching to the open field once again Kiyoko saw Gon with his fishing rod out in front of him, Leorio laying aside in pain.

"A fishing rod..? Interesting weapon choice, little boy..." Hisoka said, making Gon tremble beneath his gaze. "Allow me to have a closer look?"

Leorio suddenly stood up and staggered a bit, walking towards the two.

"Your opponent is me..."

The man was now charging towards the magician with a stick in his hand.

"Now get awa-"

His sentence was cut short when his face made contact with Hisoka's fist, knocking him out in an instant.

"LEORIO!" Gon exclaimed, his face now in a frown.

The boy swung his fishing rod at Hisoka several times, missing him every single shot. Gon looked around cautiously, gripping his fishing rod tightly.

"Have you came to rescue your friend?"

Gon turned around to see Hisoka resting his head on his hand casually behind him, swinging his rod once again and leaping away. Hisoka appeared directly behind him again, scaring him to death.

"Such a good boy..."

Gon leaped away again and swung his fishing line repetitively, Hisoko dodging it effortlessly. The man suddenly disappeared when Gon attempted another indirect hit, appearing behind him and choking him.

"Gon!" Kiyoko exclaimed in horror.

"Hmmm? Have you came to help your friends?" Hisoka asked.

The angered girl immediately ran up to the man and swung her leg at him with force for a hard kick. Hisoka turned around and earned a powerful kick in the face, still unfazed by the impact.

'W-what?!' the girl thought.

'If he was like those guys at Whale Island, he would have let go of Gon and flew a good few feet away...' Kuromi said in shock.

The man grabbed the girl's leg with his free hand after the impact and dragged her closer to him, studying both her and Gon's faces.

"Ahh! That expression you are making.. beautiful!" he suddenly exclaimed.

Kiyoko struggled to pull her leg back away from his deadly grip as Gon tried to pry off his hand around his neck.

'Kiyo!'

"It's nice to have friends, isn't it..?" he suddenly asked.

The man suddenly loosened his deadly grip and brush his thumbs against their skin, leaving an uncomfortable feeling.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you or your friend..."

The strange so-called magician let go of both Gon and Kiyoko, dropping them to the floor after seeing Gon give up struggling. Gon was now gasping for breath with his hand at his throat, Kiyoko crawling over to him quickly and hugging him close.

"He's passed," he said casually, smiling at the two a different smile. "Yes,Yes, you both passed too. Grow up and become a fine hunter.."

_Beep beep beep._

Beeping noises were now heard from the man's pocket as he pulled out a communicator.

'Hisoka, hurry and get back over here. We're nearly close to the site of phase two,' a voice said.

"Okay, I''ll be right there."

The girl shot cold daggers at Hisoka as he walked over to grab Leorio and swung him onto his shoulder like a sack of flour.

"It's always good to have friends.. Isn't it?"

"Let him go!" the teenage girl ordered, finally getting enough air through herself after the little panic attack.

"I won't do harm. Do you know where the stage for the second phase is? I believe you can get back yourself," Hisoka asked.

Gon gave a small nod with shock.

"That's a good boy.. I'll be there waiting for you..."

And with that, the magician walked away and disappeared through the thick fog. The young boy finally loosened up and began panting even harder, a clear drop of sweat rolling down his face.

'GON! KIYOKO!' Kurapika exclaimed in a distance, earning their attentions.

The teen ran up to the two and stopped in front of them.

"Are you both alright? What did he do?"

Gon continued to tremble and stared at the empty space near them, the fog finally lifting.

'He said we passed... What does that mean..?' Gon uttered quietly as he picked up the briefcase he left on the ground.

'Y-yeah, we're fine, Kurapika-kun.. C-come on.. We should get going before it's too late..' Kiyoko ushered, standing up as pain shot up her right leg.

* * *

><p>The three continued running down a covered path of trees and plants as Gon led the way with his sense of smell.<p>

"It's over here!" the young child claimed.

"Are you sure it's this way? Can you really tell?" Kurapika asked as the three jumped onto a Frog-In-Waiting to get pass.

"Sorry!" Gon apologized to the creature. "Yes, I'm sure. I can smell Leorio's unique cologne from here like a few kilometers away."

Kiyoko blinked confusedly and looked at Kurapika who had the same look on his face.

'You're like a dog...!' the surprised boy muttered.

'It's a good thing though...' Kiyoko said back.

"There are also dead animals her to guide us, I believe. They probably got killed after they attacked Hisoka," Gon pointed out on the way.

"But that doesn't actually mean he's heading towards site. He's like a damn devil!" Kurapika said.

"Hey, Kurapika? What he mean back there when he said we passed..?" Gon mentioned again.

"Hisoka was acting as if he was a judge, pretending to be an examiner.." the boy replied.

"Judge? He was grabbing us just for that?"

"Yeah. He must have a way to evaluate an individual's power and it's possible that he was ascertaining everyone's strength. You did land quite a hit on him.. And it looks like you all met his standards," Kurapika said.

"I see... But I wasn't able to do anything against him and what about Leorio? He got knocked out by him.." Gon asked.

"He was literally unfazed my my kick like it did nothing to him at all," Kiyoko said.

"Being blunt here, but maybe it's because you're a girl," Kurapika said.

"If you look down now, you'll see a huge bruise on my right leg from that kick and when he grabbed me," Kiyoko replied casually, not wanting to snap.

"Hmmm, he probably passed you all since he found you all to to be kindred spirits..."

'Such lie... He sounded like he wanted to play with is a little longer!' Kuromi yelled.

"Kindred spirits?" Gon asked.

"I have high doubts that the man could qualify to become a hunter..." the Kurta stated. "However... he did manage to impress me with his superhuman agility and gracefully technique.. It's often that those with who possess special talents are drawn to others with unique gifts."

'Well, if you think about it... THE THREE OF US ARE CERTAINLY NOT NORMAL!' Kuromi pointed out.

"It's possible that his instincts and experience told him that you had the skill and potential to become hunters. Killing you now would just be a waste and that it's a pity.. That's in his perspective," the boy finished.

Everyone went quiet and continued to run along the trail as Kurapika looked at the two with alert.

'Hey, Kiyoko? Are you alright? Hey!'

Kuromi suddenly took over Kiyoko's body fully, noting that the girl's state of mind was weakened by something.

".. I'm sorry that was something insensitive to say," the boy apologized.

"No, Killua said the same thing to me.."

Kuromi scoffed and lowered her eyelids.

"Something's bothering Kiyo right now, so I'm taking over for a bit."

"Kiyo?" the boys asked.

"You mean Kiyoko?" Gon asked.

"Yes, yes now for heaven's sake just shut up!" the girl ordered.

'Kuromi, calm down please.. It's killing me,' Kiyoko said.

'Just rest up, I might have to take on the second phase for you,' Kuromi replied immediately.

Kurapika sighed and shook his head.

"Just know that you guys aren't like that man. He's not even fit to be here."

Gon nodded a little and looked at the floor.

"I was too afraid to do anything back there... It was like the point of no return where we all would've been killed and yet I couldn't run," Gon explained. "It may sound strange, but I felt adrenaline running through me."

"I may have felt the same in that situation, so it's not strange at all to me," Kuromi sighed and tugged at her braided fringe at the same time. "I want to ditch you both right now, but Kiyoko isn't going to let... What would she do at a time like this..."

Kurapika smirked at this and decided to joke around with the cruel girl.

"Complain to me about how tired she is."

Kuromi shot a glare at the boy with her dark, sharp eyes.

"She doesn't complain and simply answers you-"

"Ah, ah, ah. I believe she doesn't talk like that. Try to sound more.. sweeter, caring, and calm," the Kurta interrupted.

Kuromi tried her best to follow his descriptions with a little bit of a twist.

"Does this sound better, faggot?" the girl asked nicely, a glare on her face.

"Yes, now fix your face expression."

Gon giggled at the two and watched the older boy mess around with the negative personal.

" How.. about now.. you arse?" Kuromi asked with a strained smile.

"Loosen up and, of course, lose the name calli-"

"OH TO HELL WITH YOU!" the girl exclaimed, jumping and swiftly kicking Kurapika with the uninjured leg of hers.

The boy blocked the kick and laughed it off as he pushed her leg away.

'Kurapika?' Gon whispered, a smile slapped on his face like usual. 'You seem different.'

'Different? What do you mean? I'm simply doing what Kiyoko told us to do; earn her trust so we don't get strangled,' the boy whispered back.

"What are you two whispering to each other?" Kuromi hissed.

"Eh? I thought you were going to be Kiyoko's replacement?" Kurapika asked in a smug manner.

"Shut up.. We're here anyways..."

The three slowed down to a walking speed and stepped into the area filled with participants, looking around to find Leorio. Gon found Hisoka and noticed the man pointing over at a tree where Leorio sat against.

"Ah! Leorio!" Gon exclaimed, running to the man.

The teens followed after Gon and surrounded the severely injured man who began to regain conscious.

"Haaaaa...? What happened? Why does my face feel swollen and sore? Eh.. Is that Kiyoko or Kuromi?" Leorio asked, rubbing his swollen cheek and looking around.

'It's best not to tell him what happened...' Kurapika instructed, earning a nodded for Gon and a disappointed sigh from Kuromi.

"Gon! I thought you weren't going to be able to make it!" Killua exclaimed, running over to the young boy in green. "You suddenly separated from me and the examiner... How'd you find your way back?"

Gon laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head as he dropped Leorio's case back to the ground.

"Sorry, Killua, I went back to help my friends and I got back here by following Leorio's scent," the boy replied.

'...Y-you're like a dog...!' Killua muttered in surprise.

Killua suddenly felt a small spark between himself and Kuromi, looking over at the girl curiously. The girl felt the young child's eyes stab her body and looked at him with a disinterested straight face. The two continued to stare at each other silently as an uncomfortable tension rose around the two, making the other three boys nervous. Kuromi slowly sat down onto the floor and took off the ribbon around her waist, wrapping her bruised leg with it and sticking her staff into the wrap. The girl took the rose from the ribbon and stuffed it into her bag, careful not to lose the accessory.

"Hello," Killua finally said, giving a sincere smile to the girl.

Kuromi remained the same and gave a small nod to the boy.

"Hi."

Killua's vein slightly popped at her response and dragged Gon away.

'Are you sure she's the way you described her? Cause she sure has an attitude. A bad one too,' Killua whispered to Gon, looking behind him to glance at the girl.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. She has two personalities, so it's like she's two different people. Right now, that's Kuromi, not Kiyoko," Gon responded, sticking his tongue out playful.

"YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME EARLIER!" Killua exclaimed, knocking Gon's head roughly.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey, guys. I should have updated yesterday, but I was feeling unwell. So next chapter I'll try updating <span>The Start<span>, To Forget Or To Be Forgotten, and Challenge Accepted? soon. I'm still not feeling very good and taking PSAT (that's a huge hint to my age, just saying.) this Wednesday. /: I also need to memorize my line for a reenactment for my English class too. I seriously don't want to perform in front of anyone on Monday (not today), I mean, I can't even talk to people face to face or online. This is why I'm in the music department guys, haha. Anyways, enjoy and good night or day!**

_**~stormy003**_


	9. Chapter 8

A gunshot was heard out of nowhere to catch attentions.

"You all did an excellent job making it here alive and well! Phase two will be taking place here in Biska Forest Park. Now then, I shall take my leave," Satotz announced.

'Finally...' Kuromi muttered.

"Best of luck to you all," the man said, walking away from the tired mob.

'I don't want to run ever again...' Kiyoko said, holding her head in pain.

'Don't worry, I'll take over this phase.'

Kuromi, unaware of the next challenge, walked over to Gon and rested her arm atop his head. The boy looked up at the girl curiously and continued to stare. Kuromi looked down at the boy and kept her straight face on, her eyelids lowered a little. Gon flashed a smile at the negative girl brightly, Kuromi softening her face a little.

'... W-what...?' Kuromi asked trying hard not to break her masked expression.

"Kuromi, you're a very nice person aren't you?" Gon suddenly asked.

Kuromi's remained the same as his question slowly seeped into her head. The girl frowned once her brain processed the suddenly asked question.

"Don't go implying random descriptions of me if you don't know if it's true," Kuromi said, pouting a little and looking away.

Gon giggled a little and reached up to grab Kuromi's hand hanging above his face. The girl flinched at the touch, her eyes widening in surprise, and relaxed her muscles after a little while. Kiyoko smiled at the two and urged Kuromi to do something back, earning a mental groan of displeasure. The cynical girl hesitantly held the young boy's hands back and awkwardly looked away, a small light blush tinting her cheeks.

'Eh, is she going to throw the kid or something?' Leorio muttered, rubbing his swelled up cheek.

Kuromi shot daggers at the man and tightened up her free hand into a fist, her knuckles turning white.

"Idiot, she's going to throw you instead," Kurapika answered.

"Hey, you. Since we're just standing here waiting for the gate, what's your name?" Killua asked, sounding a little too demanding.

Kuromi fixed her gaze onto the boy, not bothering to change her face expression.

".. And who are you?" Kuromi asked in a monotone voice.

Her answering his question with her own ticked the boy off a little. Killua decided to answer her question then asked again and kept himself from snapping at the girl.

"My name is Killua. Again, who are you?" the boy asked again even though her already knew her name.

"Killua, don't you think you're sounding a little bit... rude?" Kuromi asked, smirking a little.

Killua frowned a bit and curled his fingers together into a fist, waiting for an answer. Kiyoko's smirke died down as she took in a deep breath, releasing it with force.

"Kuromi. Kiyoko isn't present right now, so you can't meet her just yet, Snow Pile," the girl answered, looking back forward.

"W-wha.. Snow Pile?!" Killua exclaimed, leaning forward in anger. "Why you old hag!"

Kuromi's composure snapped, the girl trying hard not to display a frown and yet failed horribly at it. Killua smirked and stuck his hands into his pockets, leaning even lower and closer to her as he took notice of her expression.

"Oh? Did I strike a nerve or something?" the child taunted.

'Kiyoko, can I kill him?!' Kuromi thought.

'No, Kuromi, you can't. We'll get disqualified and of course it'll backfire later on,' Kiyoko reasoned.

'Does that mean I can kill him later?'

'No!'

The gates finally began to open slowly, revealing kitchen sets from the inside and two other examiners of the hunter exam. Everyone looked at the sets and tabled with confusion written on their faces, wondering what the next phase was all about. A skimpy looking female proctor was seated on an out of place couch with a giant male proctor standing behind the couch. The participants began to whisper to each other in disappointment as the woman before them switched and recrossed her legs.

"Will every passing attendees pass through this gate to begin the second phase?" The female voice rang.

'What is all this...?'

'Is this a prank..?'

'A kitchen? In the middle of no where?'

The participants continued to mumble questions as they all walked into the field of cooking utensils. Gon didn't bother letting go of Kuromi's hand and dragged the older girl in the area with him, the girl followed hesitantly.

"Welcome, all participants!" the woman began.

A loud noise was heard echoing all around the mob and behind the green eyed woman.

"What... was that just now..?" Killua asked.

"You must be really hungry," the female examiner said, facing the man behind her.

"I'm starved..."

"And there you have it!"

"Wait, what's going on?" someone asked.

"What do you mean? It's obviously the second phase," the woman replied. "Look around you and tell us what you see."

Everyone eyed every identical kitchen set carefully and thought for a bit.

"Aren't they just kitchen counters?" they all asked in sync.

"What about them?" a random man asked.

"Well, let's start with introductions first.. I'm Menchi and this guy here.." Menchi introduced.

"I'm Buhara! We are the examiners for the next phase," the man answered.

"The next phase is going to be all about..." the woman with green hair said.

"TADA! COOKING!" the two examiners exclaimed, showing and gesturing the kitchen counters behind the mob.

"Eh?" everyone exclaimed.

"This must be a joke! C-cooking?" Hanzo hollered.

"Cooking?! We're here to become hunters not become decent or even better cooks!" Todo exclaimed.

'I should have just taken over during the marathon even if Smarty here didn't let you switch places with me! You just had to back out and listen to him and now I'm stuck cooking,' Kuromi sobbed inwardly.

'Ma, ma, don't worry. Just try your best...' Kiyoko hesitantly said.

Kurapika, Leorio, Gon, and Killua looked over at the girl to see tears streaming down her angered face. The boys smiled awkwardly at Kuromi's reaction after she heard the word 'cooking' except for Killua who just looked away and snickered at the girl.

"That is correct! You're test is to prepare a satisfying dish for us both! You said you're here to become hunters? Well we are gourmet hunters," Menchi said proudly.

Everyone went quiet and stared at the two examiners, the participants bursting out laughing afterwards excluding the small group.

'How rude...' Kiyoko said softly.

'Idiots will always be idiots, but why cooking?' Kuromi muttered, pissed.

"What was that?" Gon asked, smiling at the girl like usual.

"Nothing."

"What a disappointment!" a person said. "Gourmet hunters? More like gourmet pigs."

Menchi stared in surprise at the participants and frowned angrily, heaving a heavy sigh. The laughter died down to snickers as the woman glared at the rude attendees.

"IF YOU DON'T WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS NEXT PHASE THEN GO HOME AND TAKE THE TEST NEXT TIME. OTHER THAN THAT, DON'T COMPLAIN!" Menchi hollered.

"What's a gourmet hunter?" Gon asked, finally letting go of the girl's hand.

"A gourmet hunter is a hunter that looks for ingredients around the world to create new cuisines," Kurapika explained.

"Great, more knowledge from the Bookworm..." Kuromi gritted, earning a small glare from the boy.

"So, gourmet hunters, what do we have to make to satisfy you're hungry stomachs?" Todo asked mockingly.

"Hm... Buhara," Menchi growled.

The man stepped forward and shook the ground once he set his foot down onto the ground.

"Each one of us will ask for a dish and taste test your culinary skills. The required ingredient for me is pork, not just any pigs, but the most dangerous pigs in this forest, the Great Stamp," Buhara announced.

"After you pass Buhara's test and earn satisfaction, you will move onto my test," the young woman continued. "Now, go! Second phase begins NOW!"

'Eh? Where the hell are we going to find pigs in the forest?" the mob muttered, walking out of the gate in disappointment.

"So where are we going to look first?" Leorio asked.

"Don't look at me, how should I know?" Kuromi muttered.

The man grumbled something unnecessary and looked away from the girl, turning to Kurapika instead.

"I'm with her. I don't have a clue either," the boy said immediately.

Leorio frowned at the two and gave a long sigh.

"Hey, Kurapika, check my face. It hurts.. You only checked my arm earlier," the man complained.

Kurapika turned his head over and looked at the man for a good half minute, looking away and lowering his eyelids irritably.

"It looks the same as ever. Now, quit complaining," Kurapika said, sounding as calm as ever.

'That sounded like a lie.. And it sure doesn't feel normal to me,' the man muttered angrily.

'Poor Leorio-san..' Kiyoko said, giggling a little.

'There's nothing to pity him about at all...' Kuromi told Kiyoko. 'In fact there's actually too much to take pity on him to the point where it's too much and you end up not pitying him for anything.'

Kiyoko smiled and shook her head. The group made their way down a slope and slid to the very bottom, Gon being the first to slide down the side. The boy stood at his place as everyone else followed him down, bumping into each other in the process.

"Agh! Ow!" Kuromi exclaimed.

"Hey! Watch it!" Killua said, glaring at the girl.

Kuromi returned the expression to the boy, but changed it into a cringe after the other two boys made contact with them all, squishing them together and toppling each other down.

"Oof!" Kurapika grunted.

"Ah- Whoa!" Leorio exclaimed, falling over everyone.

The group were now sandwiched together as they tried picking themselves up from the ground slowly and in pain, Gon still staring out in front of him.

"Hey, Gon, next time... DON'T JUST STAND THERE! MOVE OUT THE WAY!" Leorio exclaimed furiously. 'Now, where are those damn pigs?!'

Gon pointed out in front of him to a group of giant pigs with snouts large enough to cover their faces.

"Over there," the boy said casually.

Everyone looked at the pigs in shock, their jaws dropping to the ground. The animals were munching on bones peacefully until one of them spotted the little group of humans, snapping a bone in half with it's jaws. Leorio flinched and whimpered at the sight, the colors of his face draining into white.

"What now? Are you going to piss in your pants or something, Mr. Courageous?" Kuromi snickered.

Leorio had the urge to scream, but couldn't, his voice hitched up in the back of his throat. The pigs completely stopped what they were doing and began to chase after the tiny group, making them run off and away from the herd.

"Hey, buta-chan... Huh? What's going on?" Hanzo asked, looking up from the bush he was looking through.

The participants stopped their search and looked at where the shaking was being created.

"Is it an earthquake?" a participant asked.

"AS IF!" Tonpa exclaimed.

Dirt clouds were flying all over the place as five silhouettes, a girl and four boys, came running towards them quickly with bigger shadows behind them following after them.

"Ah. We found them," Kuromi said casually, running past everyone without a single huff of tired breath.

The participants didn't get what she said and stared at her confusedly, fixing their gazes to the others with her.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Leorio screamed as he sped by every single thing in the way.

"Ehh... Is this what we have to do?" Killua asked, sounding a little uninterested as he passed by everyone with his hands behind his head.

Gon came running next to Killua with a straight face on, watching Leorio scream off his head.

"I advise you all to run. That's if you don't want to die," Kurapika said, following the other four.

The pigs finally got close enough for everyone to see, causing them all to panic and follow after the little group of newly made friends. Every participant split apart from each other to get the pigs off their hinds, the pigs doing the same to chase after their picked human prey.

"It looks like this little piggy wants to play with us," Kuromi said as she turned around quickly, making her slide backwards as she planted her feet firmly into the ground to halt.

The pig stopped in it's track and huffed a little, pawing the ground several times before charging after the girl. Kuromi jumped out of the way from the animal, making it collide it's giant nose into a tree and delaying it's movement for a second.

"Wow, this pig is like a bull.. It must hate my red hair," the girl said calmly, holding up her hair a bit to look at.

Kiyoko gave a weak chuckle and shook her head a little, making Kuromi smile at herself.

"Feeling any better, Kiyo?" Kuromi asked.

'Yes, just a little tired still,' Kiyoko replied.

Kuromi kicked the incoming pig with her subservient left leg at it's large snout and caused the dangerous animal to topple downward to the ground. The girl set her hands on her hips and leaned a little on her left leg, her right leg being the injured one from earlier.

'You shouldn't worry too much about our brother's thoughts. He's already gone, but even if he wasn't, he wouldn't want his little sister to be worried about his own opinions instead of her own thoughts,' Kuromi thought, knowing this topic was a little too personal to be said out loud.

The pig stood back up onto it's legs, looking ever so angry at Kuromi and huffing a breath through it's nose.

"You are one stubborn pig..." the girl muttered, growing out her tail and knocking the creature off it's feet again.

"HEY, YOU OLD HAG!" Killua called out.

Kuromi's nerves were struck again as the young boy called out to her, making her hide her tail quickly.

"GON SAID TO ATTACK IT'S HEAD! THAT'S IT'S WEAK SPOT!"

Kuromi sighed and bent down to take out her staff from the wrapped ribbon around her leg, extending it to it's fullest and whacking the Great Stamp on it's forehead as hard as she could.

"Is that so?" Kuromi asked herself.

The pig dropped dead onto it's side after the hard contact with the weapon. One by one, each pig tipped over onto to the ground dead as they got hit on the head really hard by the participants. Everyone dragged the dead pigs back without a struggle and went straight to roasting the pig, not caring if it was burnt or still raw.

"I didn't expect this many to pop up.." Menchi said to Buhara, a little impressed.

"I'm hungryyyyyy..." Buhara complained as he eyed the roasting pigs.

'I bet some of the meat got burnt,' Kuromi muttered, looking at the other's dishes.

'Pay attention to your own or yours would burn too,' Kiyoko warned.

'Right...'

Each participants began to line up in front of the examiners with their roasted pig in hand, eager to hurry up and pass the so-called Second Phase. Kuromi met up with the others in the middle of the field and headed over to the long line, waiting for their turn patiently. It was now Kuromi's turn to present her dish, the girl awkwardly scooting towards the two examiners and setting down her dish.

'I feel like an ant near him..' the negative girl thought.

'I would've of also if I was in that position... In fact, I feel like one anyways!' Kiyoko responded.

Buhara hobbled down the roasted pig hungrily even though he already ate more than thirty of the same dish.

"Yhep! you pash!" the man said, his mouth full of meat.

Kuromi nodded and walked away a little disgusted by the man's action.

"Pass! Pass! Pass! Pass!" the giant examiner repeated.

"Is this even..." Kurapika started.

"An exam anymore?" Leorio finished.

Kuromi gave a quiet shrug and scratched her head a little confused.

"I'm a really bad cook and yet, to pass me just like that, I have no idea anymore," the girl said.

"Since fifty of you guys got passed by Buhara, It's now my turn to test you all," Menchi said. "My dish would be... sushi!"

Everyone went quiet and looked around to look for reactions, getting the same expression as themselves. Menchi smirked and stood up from her seat, crossing her arms together. The mob began to ask each other and mutter 'What the heck is sushi?' as Menchi stood in her place and listened.

"I'll give you a hint. All the tools you need to prepare the dish are already out. I've also already provided the rice for you lots and now for the type of sushi? Nigiri Sushi," the woman said in a smug attitude.

"Hmmmm, how would you prepare this dish...?" Leorio thought out loud.

"What's sushi?" Gon asked as everyone went over to the stationed counters.

"Kid, you ask about everything..." Kuromi said between her teeth.

"I actually agree with the old hag here," Killua said.

"You little faggot, quit calling me that!" the girl hissed.

"I remembering reading it somewhere before, but I don't know the exact shape of it..." Kurapika started.

The attendees were curiously looking at their rice spatulas and playing around with the cooked rice as Hanzo looked around with excitement, trying hard to cover it up, but failed miserably.

'What a dope..' Kuromi muttered.

'If I recall... I believe Nigiri requires fish, no?' Kiyoko asked.

'Then we'll find fish, I guess,' Kuromi responded.

"So what you're saying is that we need fresh fish?! Where on earth do we get that? We're in a forest!" Leorio exclaimed.

Kurapika suddenly threw his rice spatula at Leorio's face, trying to make him shut up. Everyone in the area stared at the two for a while and then began running out of the gate once again.

"Idiot," Kuromi said out loud, walking away.

"FISH! WE NEED FISH!"

The mob began to shove each other out of the way to go find a water source and fish for the ingredient they needed most.

"YOU ARE SO LOUD!" Kurapika yelled.

"THEY WERE EAVESDROPPING!" Leorio exclaimed.

'I might as well keep my mouth shut then!' the boy growled.

"Aren't you glad, Gon? It's fishing and you're good at it!" Killua exclaimed, following Kuromi in the forest.

"Yeah!" the boy answered.

'This is going to take a while...' Kuromi sighed.

* * *

><p><strong>Stormy: Hey, guys! Sorry if I delayed this story for a bit! Bad memory and stress... ^^"<strong>

**Kuromi: Seriously... You forget to easily! Baaaakaaa. -_-"**

**Kiyoko: Kuromi short memory span and stress doesn't mean they are an idiot. Give them some time! ^u^"**

**Stormy: No, it's alright, really! ^^"**

**Kurapika: Write down a note or something so you don't forget. ._.**

**Stormy: That won't help.. _ _"**

**Kurapika: Might as well and burn it in your head... -digs through bag-**

**Stormy: NOPE! I'M FINE! This is the shortes- KURAPIKA! I SAID I'M FINE! -covers head-**

**Leorio: Eh? What's going on?**

**Stormy: Nothing, nothing, just ending this chapter. Now where was I? Oh, yes! Shortest chapter for this stor-**

**Leorio: WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, AREN'T YOU FORGETTING ABO-**

**Kilua: Kurapika and Kiyoko moments?**

**Stormy: No, Killua, I think it's still too early..**

**Leorio: Ah- Wait, that's not what-**

**Killua: Aw...**

**Gon: Then what about art?**

**Stormy: OH, RIGHT! THANK YOU, GON! -ruffles hair- HEY, MINNA! SOME OF YOU READERS MAY KNOW THAT I'M MORE OF AN ARTIST THAN A WRITER. I DRAW MORE THAN I WRITE OR JUST AS MUCH. Actually, I don't know myself... OH WELL. ANYWAYS! I PLAN TO START TAKING COMMISSIONS, BUT I'D LIKE OPINIONS FIRST. WHENEVER I TAKE REQUESTS AND OF COURSE FOR FREE, PEOPLE TEND TO DEMAND AND RUSH ME TO FINISH THEIR REQUEST AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE. I DON'T EVEN THINK THEY REALLY CARE ABOUT MY SCHOOL WORK, EXTRA ACTIVITIES, FREE TIME, AND HOUSE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK, I'D LIKE TO HEAR OPINIONS!**

**Kurapika: Oh and there is a poll on Stormy's profile. They rarely communicate to anyone unless it's necessary like a review or PM from other people or when people want to befriend them. Go check it out if you want! The poll is who is your favorite OC Stormy created/designed. Read other stories to know more about them!**

**Kuromi: Vote for Kiyo and I! -whispers- Or just me would be fine... -smirks-**

**Kiyoko: They might like other characters more than us you know.. They might not even like us in general!**

**Stormy: Nahhh, I know you guys are loved too, don't worry! I'll be updating The Start, To Forget Or To Be Forgotten, Challenge Accepted?, and of course this story; The One Dream when I can! Thanks so much for being patient with me!**

**Kurapika: I think that's it..**

**Stormy: Okay****, then...**

**Everyone: Thanks for reading, reviewing, following, and liking this story and ENJOY THIS CHAPTER! R&R!~**

**Leorio: I never got to finish my question... -sob-**

_**~Stormy003**_


	10. Chapter 9

"Ahhhh ah. You're so cold Menchi," Buhara chuckled, turning to the shorter woman. "Sushi is mainly made with fresh saltwater fish correct?"

The woman looked at the man and smirked.

"That's why this is going to be interesting," the young lady replied, turning back to watch the group break apart.

"Now I think about it..." Kuromi said. "Is sushi made with specific fish types or just any kind of fish...?"

Kiyoko blinked at the question curiously and thought for a while. The water in the river reached above Kuromi's ankles once she took a step in with her bare feet, continuing it's path down the stream. The girl rolled up her baggy capris and walked out into the water until it reached up to her knees.

'Oh lord, the water is cold..' the girl muttered to herself.

'Well, since you brought it up.. I don't actually remember..' Kiyoko said, scratching her head awkwardly. 'It's been awhile since I've tried sushi..'

Kuromi groaned and looked down at her feet to see fishes swimming near and around her gracefully.

'How about we ask Kurapika if he knows?'

"Who's Kurapika?" Kuromi asked disgruntled. "Oh wait, the bookworm?

Kiyoko slapped her face and shook her head disappointedly.

'Yes, yes,' the resting girl replied.

"Ha, I doubt he'll know. So how are we going to catch these fishes...?"

The girl looked at everyone else to see what method they were using and noticed several people using handmade spears, their bare hands, or just swimming in the water to catch their own fish. Gon was the only odd one out, possessing a fishing rod of his own to catch his prey.

'I guess were could use our staff to whip them up into the air and out of the water,' Kiyoko suggested.

Kuromi nodded at the suggestion and pulled out her extended staff from her waist. Once she stuck the staff into the flowing liquid covering the area, Hisoka suddenly popped up from underneath the surface a few meters away from her with a fish squirming in his mouth. The girl jumped at the sight and stared at him with a confused and uncomfortable look, slowly trudging away from the man.

'Well then... I'll be taking my leave then...' Kuromi muttered quickly.

Hisoka brushed his red hair out of his face and left the fish in his mouth as he watched the stunned alternative of Kiyoko leave to another area of the river.

'Oh?' the man muffled with the now dead fish flopping in his mouth.

'Kiyoko, note to self: STAY AWAY FROM THAT FREAKISH CLOWN GUY!' the girl told herself.

'Of course,' Kiyoko replied, shivering at the thought. 'He scares me anyways...'

Returning to the exam grounds, the girl looked at all the exotic looking fishes the rest of the participant brought in.

'At least get a normal fish guys...' Kuromi thought.

'Focus,' Kiyoko told Kuromi. 'We need to pass this test, but despite how bad you cook...'

'Shut up, Kiyoko, don't say it.'

'If you say so..'

'Oh this is getting interesting...!' Menchi said silently, containing most of her excitement. "I'm curious to see what peculiar dish they came up with. Today, I'm here posing more as a cook than a proctor."

"I don't think that's appropriate though," Buhara said as the woman licked her lips hungrily.

"What was that?" Menchi asked, looking up at the gigantic man with an innocent smile.

"N-nothing..."

Menchi frowned at the answer and focused back to the attendees, smiling with curiosity once again. Buhara stared at his partner with worry written all over his face.

"As a chef, huh? Hopefully she doesn't get into her bad habit again.."

'I never cooked before...' Gon began, everyone turning to him. 'Well actually, the only thing I made was egg and rice."

The group chuckled at the boy and shrugged at Gon's statement.

"Maybe you can try it someday!" the boy exclaimed.

"Sure, sure, I'll try it," Leorio agreed, nodding his head.

"Yeah, same here," Kurapika added.

Everyone began to set up their own things to prepare their dish for the exam. Kuromi curiously looked over to see what Leorio was doing with his dish, noticing the compressed rice balls he was creating on a separate dish. She then turned over to look at Gon and Kurapika and saw the two boys still thinking really hard about the requested dish.

'This is hopeless..' the girl muttered, lightly banging her head against the table.

"Well, it's only hopeless if you're just going to complain and not work or think," Kurapika pointed out.

"Shut up, Cat Face," Kuromi spat out.

The boy shook his head and went back into deep thought about his dish, ignoring the girl once again. Kuromi scratched her head annoyingly and groaned a little.

'Kiyoko, how do we start this off?' the girl asked.

'Figure it out,' the girl replied.

Kuromi groaned again in a pissed off manner and started mimicking Leorio's actions.

'I guess I'll just follow along then,' Kuromi decided.

'Alright then, I'll be trying to remember what sushi looks like then' Kiyoko offered. 'Read me when you think I got an idea of it.'

'Okay then,' Kuromi replied.

After a few minutes later, Leorio finally finished hs dish, revealing only one piece of his so-called sushi.

"You took that long just to make one?" Kuromi asked awkwardly, pointing at the leftover rice balls.

"Looks matter, okay?" the man exclaimed.

"Its a fish stuck in the center of a damn rice ball," Kuromi said.

"SO WHAT? IT'LL STILL BE APPETIZING! I THINK!"

"Yeah, yeah... Let's see if it'll taste good even though it looks disgusting."

The girl reached out a little and received a slap on her hand from Leorio.

"No, no, no. This is the key to passing this test. No touching," Leorio instructed.

Kuromi snickered a little and turned back to her plate.

"Right, we'll see about that."

The man walked away with the finished cuisine in his hands towards the examiners, the first one to turn in a dish.

'Oh? Lucky! Looks like I get to pass first!' the man though triumphantly.

Kuromi began to search through Kiyoko's thoughts and sighed when she finally found the recorded info of sushi in the girl's mind.

'Do I have to cut the fishes into slices?' the girl complained. 'I suck at cutting up even slices of whatever I'm cutting...'

'Deal with it please,' Kiyoko sighed.

'Fine.'

The girl began to cut up the fishes into sets of fish slices, accidentally cutting her finger in the process.

"Ah! Ow.."

Kuromi looked at her finger and studied the dribbling blood, pain still lingering around the pad of her index finger.

"Ah? You cut yourself I see," Kurapika said, facing the girl fully.

"You think?" the girl said sarcastically.

The boy just shook his head at her answer and grabbed Kuromi's hand to inspect the wound closer.

"H-hey! let go!" Kuromi exclaimed, frowning at the Kurta's action.

"It's not too deep, so that's fine,' Kurapika muttered to himself, completely brushing off Kuromi.

"HEY, BLONDIE! DID YOU NOT HEAR ME?!" Kuromi yelled, trying to pull back her hand.

'Yes, yes, I heard you, but I don't feel like it,' Kurapika thought.

Kuromi growled at how stubborn the boy was being and continued to glare daggers at him. Kurapika finally let go of her hand for a brief second to dig out a piece of cloth in his bag next to him, returning to the position he was in and grabbing her once again. Kuromi sighed in an annoyed way and looked away as she felt the boy dab the cloth on her finger.

"Be careful next time. It's not too deep, but if it was, you might have fed the examiners blood or your entire finger,' the boy said matter-of-factly.

"Or even your head if you keep this up," the girl snarled.

Kurapika was completely unfazed by the threat and shrugged a bit as an answer.

"I slightly doubt that."

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS CRAP?!" Menchi exclaimed, loud enough to made everyone jump.

"It's sushi what else!" Leorio fought back, not as loud as the enraged woman.

"IT LOOKS NOTHING LIKE SUSHI! I WON'T ACCEPT THIS! NOW GO START OVER!" Menchi ordered, shooing the man away.

Leorio walked back to his station and grumbled a few disappointing words as he did so.

"So was I right or was I right?" Kuromi asked in a smug manner, smirking at the man.

"Shut up. I'm going to pass this damn test no matter what," Leorio growled angrily.

Kuromi began to laugh and slapped her forehead to calm down.

'Stay still!' Kurapika thought, losing his patience as he tried wrapping up the girl's cut.

"Looks like I'm next!" Gon said excitedly.

The boy took the plate in front of him and walked over to the two examiners to get his food inspected and graded.

"THIS IS NO DIFFERENT TO #403'S ENTRY! GO BACK AND RE-DO IT!" the woman hollered.

"I-I'm like... Leorio..?" Gon asked a little shocked.

"Don't worry, Gon. I understand you to the fullest.." Kurapika said sympathetically.

"IS THAT SUPPOSE TO BE AN INSULT?!"

'It looks like she's back to her old habits again,' Buhara thought worriedly.

More participants began to turn in their dishes and formed a long line for inspections.

"NO!"

The next attendee walked up to the woman with a straight face.

"NO!"

The man growled and walked away as the woman threw the plate behind her, feeding Buhara with the unaccepted dishes.

"Hmm...?"

The woman stared at Killua for a moments as he smiled and presented his cuisine.

"Shrimp cocktail, marinated trout with mustard sauce and rice, It's a sushi in bourgogne style," the boy explained.

Menchi was now getting frustrated by everything around her and frowned harder than usual.

"THAT. IS. GROSSS!" the young lady exclaimed, flipping the plate over herself. "DO IT AGAIN!"

'Damn,' the boy muttered, walking away with his hands in his pockets.

"She grades ridiculously hard..." Kuromi said.

'No kidding..' Kiyoko agreed.

"CLOSE, BUT NOT CLOSE ENOUGH! DISGUSTING! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT? IS IT STILL ALIVE?! NOOOOOOO!"

Plates continued to fly behind the female proctor as Buhara gulped all the cuisines down continuously. Kurapika was now in deep thought once again, his chin resting in between his thumb and index finger. The boy suddenly snapped his fingers together and ran over to the station, finally starting his dish, Kuromi staring at the boy curiously.

'He seems to have an idea of how sushi looks like..' Kuromi thought.

The Kurta picked up the knife next to him and began to quickly chop things up with much speed.

'What is he cu- HA?!' the girl thought, ducking before the knife Kurapika threw behind him hit her.

"THAT'S THE SECOND TIME YOU ALMOST KILLED ME!" Kuromi exclaimed furiously.

'Kids, don't play with knives...' Kiyoko pointed out frighteningly.

"FINISHED!" Kurapika announced, holding up his dish triumphantly.

'Tch, idiot...'

Kurapika walked over to the examiner and chuckled triumphantly as he prepared to reveal his dish. Menchi raised her eye brow and waited for the boy to lift up the tray.

"... IT'S NO DIFFERENT TO #403, YOU DUMB PRICK!" Menchi exclaimed, throwing away the plate again.

Kurapika was left in shock, his hair disheveled and his eye twitching irritatedly.

'N-no different.. to.. #4... 03?' the boy thought hopelessly.

"IS IT THAT MUCH OF A SHOCK TO YOU?!" Leorio exclaimed.

Kuromi shook her head and turned in her own plate to get the same disapproval everyone has been receiving.

"LOOKS LIKE IT, BUT TASTES NOTHING LIKE IT!"

'Is that even possible..?' Kiyoko thought. 'Did you do something to the fish?'

Kuromi walked away while whistling innocently, pretending not to her Kiyoko.

'Oh? What was that, Kiyo? I didn't quite catch it...'

'That's a lie,' the girl said.

* * *

><p>After throwing all the dishes the participants fixed up, Menchi sighed and stared at Hanzo's dish and decided to try it.<p>

"Finally, a decent looking dish..." the woman said, eating it. "... Nope, not good enough. Do it again."

The man was now inrritated by how picky the woman was and threw a fit.

"I CUT THE FISH AND PLACED A SLICE OF IT ON TOP OF A PERFECTLY SIZED RICE BALL FOR YOU AND YET YOU DON'T PASS ME?!" he exclaimed angrily.

Everyone stared at the two for a moment and ran off back to their stations to prepare more sushi.

"Tch.. Now everyone knows what it is, you idiot!" the young woman exclaimed.

Hanzo chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's not all about looks! It's also about the damn taste! If you don't put effort in it, it'll taste like crap!" Mechi hollered, pulling out her four trusty butcher knives from behind her.

Food continued to overflow the place as Menchi taste tested each one of them slowly, one by one.

"No. The rice is too pressed together. It won't break apart," the woman judged.

Gon's face expression fell after the test and walked back to his station.

'Menchi, I think you're grading to-' Buhara began.

"Shut up and watch," the woman said.

The man immediately shut his mouth and kept quiet.

"Nope. It's unevenly cut. It's too loose. I don't even need to eat it! No. Do it again. You failed..."

After an hour passed, the woman sighed and leaned back behind her onto the couch.

"Haaaa... I'm full..." Menchi said. "Well, that's that! See you all next time!~"

The group glowered at the woman angrily and built up tension between them all and the examiners.

"What? It just means you have another chance for next year. I wasn't satisfies with any of your dishes, so you all failed. Take it and leave," the young proctor explained.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" Todo exclaimed angrily taking a step forward.

Buhara knocked the man into the air and sent him flying onto the roof in one hard punch, making everyone flinch. Menchi juggled and played around with her butcher knives as everyone continued to gape.

"Follow my rules or never participate again," the lady growled.

An airship suddenly appeared above everyone from the sky, slowly descending onto the ground. The ship's doors opened up and revealed an old man in all white and very little blue standing there before them.

"N-Netero-san!" Menchi exclaimed.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry, everyone. I'm going to take a break and I don't know how long it'll be. I'm sick right now and I have a lot of school work and stress, so ALL of my stories will undergo a hiatus. I'll try to get back with you all and stuff, but please don't get mad! It's not fun being sick and having stress and stuff.. T-T'<strong>

**_~stormy003_**


	11. Chapter 10

'That blimp, it has the emblem of the hunters' associates..! It must be the committee!' the group whispered. 'Who is that old man though? Is he also from the committee?'

"That old man your talking about is the chairman! Show your respects!" Menchi said.

"It'd be a disappointment to fail every single applicant here," Netero chuckled, sticking his arms through the opposite sleeves. "What's happen he-"

"PLEASE GIVE US A TIME OUT!" Gon suddenly exclaimed, raising his hand.

"Time out?" the old man repeated.

"Hey, kid! I said show your respects!" Menchi exclaimed.

"I want to pass! I need to! I want to find and see my dad!" Gon reasoned.

"Well, I'm sorry for you! But look here, the right to decide belongs to the proctor, which is me. You got that, kid?"

"That's why all you have to do is reevaluate the test for us!" Gon said.

"NO MEAN'S NO! THE. TEST. IS. OFFICIALLY. OVER!" Menchi exclaimed. "THAT INCLUDES ALL OF YOU! SERIOUSLY, JUST LEAVE!"

"NO ONE IS GOING TO ACCEPT THAT, YOU USELESS GOURMET HUNTERS! WE'RE SURE ALL YOU DO IS SIT THERE AND EAT!" some man yelled.

"That's it. I'm going to kill someone if this keeps going on. NETERO-SAN, PLEASE MAKE THEM LEAVE!" the young woman exclaimed.

'This woman is irritating…!' Kuromi muttered, wanting to attack.

'Leave her be… I'm sure the man over there would stop her from throwing a fit,' Kiyoko replied.

'Yeah right.'

"What is the chairman doing out here though?" Pokkle decided to ask.

"Oh well, I mainly work behind the scenes and all, but I also appear when there is a problem like this!" the man said in a happy tone.

"A chairman that turns out to be an old geezer… Interesting…" Killua said, smirking a little.

"So what seems to be the problem here, Menchi-kun?" Netero asked. "You seemed to have failed everyone here because you disapproved their hesitation to try new things?"

"Uh. Y-Yes..!" the woman replied. "My objection was to pull them through the unknown subject of cooking and have them discover new things without using only brute strength!"

'Look at that! She appears to be nervous around him!' Leorio whispered to Kurapika.

'That proves how important that man is to the proctors.. That also means he's a savior to us all..' the boy whispered back.

'I can see his eyes trailing her bust right now…'Kuromi said in disgust.

'Pervert…' Kiyoko muttered.

"That's why I've decided to give them a challenging subject to deal with! But…"

"But?" Netero urged.

"Well… I…."

"You seemed to judge them with that goal in mind…."

"I just lost it when one of the candidates insulted the Gourmet Hunters…" the woman concluded. "I seemed to have made it harder than I planned to at first."

"So, to conclude your statement, you are aware that the exam you put up was unacceptable," the old man said.

"Yes, sir.. When it comes to cooking, I always tend to lose control over myself. I am not qualified to be a proctor and I will step down from that duty as an examiner," Menchi said. "Please redo the second phase!"

'Kuro, want to switch?' Kiyoko asked, sighing with relief.

'Feeling any better, Kiyo?' Kuromi thought.

'Yes, much.'

The two switched roles unnoticed as the conversation between the proctor and the chairman continued.

"You are an honest young lady, if you haven't noticed. I do see some problems as a proctor, but I understand. You being a Gourmet Hunter with the title of Single Star Hunter, it proves that you are very passionate about cooking. It will be difficult to find another examiner on such short notice, so.."

"I'm sorry, Chairman Netero.." Menchi said, bowing a little.

"Let me propose this one idea. I'd like you to continue serving your job as a proctor, must you participate as well in the new test you suggest; a demonstration that is! Is that acceptable?"

The group stared at the young woman with hesitation and curiosity as the old man continued to talk.

"I'm sure with this new proposal; the participants will accept the results of their new test. It'll also be a lot easier to judge!"

"I was worried about what was going to happen to us just now…" Leorio said.

"We're still going to be tested by our ability in cooking, so we can't take it easy just yet," Kurapika reminded the man.

"We're going to have another test!" Gon exclaimed.

"Aren't you glad about that, Gon?" Killua chuckled.

"Yup!"

'At least I'll be the one handling this..' Kiyoko thought, looking at her covered finger.

Todo stood up from the spot her fell and rubbed at his bloodied mouth with irritation.

"That is quite true….. Well then.. The new test will be boiled eggs!" the woman said, smiling.

"Boiled eggs?" the group said in unison.

"YAY!" Gon exclaimed

"Well, gee.. That's…" Killua started.

'I just had to give you the harder test.. I'm sorry, Kuro!' Kiyoko giggled silently.

'Just my luck…' the counterpart grumbled.

"Netero-san, may I ask if you can take us all to that mountain, Mt. Split-in-Half, in your airship?" Menchi requested.

"Mt. Split-in-Half? I see.. I most certainly can, that can be easily arranged immediately!"

Everyone immediately headed in to the airship and headed to the mountain where there was a giant split in the middle of nowhere on the mountain.

* * *

><p>The participants were all looking down the cliff of the mountain with hesitation or determination written clearly on their faces.<p>

"Here we are!" the female examiner exclaimed.

"Ummmm… Where the hell are we?" a male voice asked.

"What is it like to be down there..?" Todo asked in alert.

"Don't worry, there's a river down there. Everyone, look carefully down there," Menchi said.

At first the cliff was foggy until it began to clear up a second later, revealing thick webs creating horizontal ladders below.

"W-what is that…?" one of the applicants asked.

"A Spider Eagles' web" the young proctor said casually.

"W-webs? They build webs? Down in that pit?" Hanzo asked.

A strong gust of wind suddenly blew upwards into the hunter and hunters-in-progress's faces, Todo flinching and falling backwards. Killua and Gon were still glued to the floor, looking down the cliff curiously.

"Look below the web," Menchi said.

"Those are…." a male participant asked.

"I see sacs of eggs down there…?" Kiyoko asked.

"Those are Spider Eagle eggs," Menchi replied, patting Kiyoko's back a little forcefully.

'Oof. Ugh. Auck!' the girl grunted silently every time her back made contact with Menchi's hand.

"Spider Eagles always build their webs in deep canyons like these to protect their eggs from land predators," the woman explained, halting her action. "This makes their eggs one of the most strenuous ingredients to get our hands on just like the moss on a Big Horn Bear's horns."

Kiyoko cautiously rubbed her back to stop the tingling sensation lingering around her skin, not wanting Menchi to see.

"These eggs are also known to be dream eggs," Netero added.

"W-wait just a minute.." Todo said. "What you're saying is- You mean we're all going to-"

"I sure do," Menchi cut the man off.

"W-WHAT?"

Menchi stepped closer to the edge and took off her heels swiftly, turning around to face the others.

"Well, I'll be going ahead!"

And with that she leapt into the ravine head first and caught onto a thick rope of web, everyone in panic.

"HA!?"

The woman sighed once she was able to get a grip on the web.

"Even if she's able to grab some of the eggs, how is she going to get back up?" Leorio asked.

"I guess that's why we're watching, to see how.." Kiyoko said. "If there was no way back up, why would she jump off down there for?"

"Err… Kiyoko or Kuromi..?" Leorio asked awkwardly.

"Guess!" the girl exclaimed.

"It's Kiyoko, dimwit," Kurapika answered.

"Ding, ding, ding! That's correct!"

Menchi continued to hang on the same rope of web, waiting patiently for another gust to come quickly. Just a small quiver of air moved a thin lock of her green hair, indicating that a gust was coming soon. The woman immediately took the chance to let go and dropped to the bottom, grabbing an egg on the way down.

"AHHH!"

Todo covered up his eyes with an arm and looked away frighteningly, everyone else leaning in further to watch.

"S-she jumped!" Leorio announced in shock.

"Are you a reporter or something?" Kiyoko asked, still having her gaze fixed on the demonstration.

"B-but she jumped! Is she trying to kill herself?!" the man asked.

"No, she's not.." Kurapika replied, still watching.

"Huh?"

A strong gust of wind immediately began to blow the young proctor back up to their level, Gon and Killua watching with interest and excitement.

"Haaa!" Gon said.

"Ooh..! That looks fun…!" Killua exclaimed.

"This gulley has updrafts that will help hatched chicks fly back up to their web," Netero explained as Menchi landed in front of him. It's quite a height and the chicks usually never touch the water below. It does happen, but rarely."

"There you go! Now all I need to is to boil this egg!" the female examiner concluded, showing the giant dirty white egg that sat in her hand. "Oh, also, if you fall into the river, you'll be washed out into the sea that's kilometers away from here. It moves quite fast really."

"Y-you're joking. You must be," Todo stuttered, Menchi looking over. "You say it as if it was easy! No sensible person would commit a half-hearted suicide for this…."

"I'm actually glad! I've been waiting for this moment!" Gon exclaimed.

"It's actually a lot easier than running and cooking random unknown dishes…" Leorio said, looking down the cliff.

"I actually agree with you," Kurapika said.

"It's not too bad. It's just grabbing an egg and getting back up to boil it," Kiyoko said casually.

"I'm going ahead. YAHHHHHH!" Leorio screamed.

Leorio went full speed ahead and jumped off the cliff with confidence, Killua remained silent and casually stepped off the cliff with his hands still in his pockets, and Gon literally knelt down and dived right off the cliff. Kiyoko just watched the three drop until Kurapika raised up his right hand and hid his left behind his back.

"I'm going to. Let's go, Kiyoko," the boy said, falling off the cliff backwards.

"Oh, why not?" the girl said, smiling a bit.

Her hands were still on her hips as she took a small hop and dropped quickly to the bottom where the web was built. Todo looked at the five applicants with shock on his face, thinking they were all crazy.

"Ah!" Menchi urged out, but it was too late. "I wasn't finished with my explanation of everything to do!"

"Count me in!" Hanzo exclaimed, jumping into the gorge with some of the other participants. "Here I go!"

"How about the rest of you? Are you going to drop out?" Menchi asked, looking at the remaining participants.

Gon was able to grab onto a rope of thread and bounced upwards a little.

"It also takes a lot of courage to quit this exam. Don't worry there will be another exam next year," Netero said, facing behind him.

Killua was able to land on the stretchy rope of web perfectly fine on his feet as Kurapika caught the rope with a single hand. Leorio grabbed onto a rope with his entire body, his arms hugging it close to him and his legs crossed together to stop himself from falling and secured. Kiyoko grabbed onto the web with a single hand as she slightly swung herself upwards and hung upside down, legs locked in case she dropped.

"I-I'm going too!" Todo exclaimed, jumping off as well.

Several of the applicants that dropped and never got a grip of the web fell into the river, being pushed away quickly by the rushing water. The cluster of humans hanging on the web waited silently for the updraft, several people becoming impatient.

"That's it! I'm going!" a man exclaimed, letting go of the web and falling into the river with an egg.

"I'll go get my egg first before the wind comes," Killua said, dashing off on the web to grab an egg near him.

"That's quite a good idea," Kiyoko agreed, flipping off from the rope of web she hung from and grabbing the one below her to launch herself up higher with momentum.

Leorio, Kurapika, and Gon nodded at each other and pull themselves up onto the web and carefully yet swiftly ran to the closest eggs they had access to, everyone still remaining from the drop either doing the same thing or just hanging until it was time to drop. Todo growled and followed the group, trying to find a cluster of eggs near him.

"Should we go now? WAH!" Leorio asked impatiently, slipping and grabbing onto the web quickly.

"Not yet….." Gon replied.

"Eh? Why not?"

"There's no wind," Killua responded.

"There isn't always an updraft," Kurapika answered.

"Would you like to fall into the river too, Leorio-san?" Kiyoko asked, bouncing on the web like a child.

"N-no.."

"I thought so."

"When is the next one then…?" Leorio groaned.

"Wait," Gon suddenly said.

Everyone went quiet again and looked over at him as a small gust of wind blew past the people. He smelled the air again like the time he predicted the storm on the boat, certain ropes of web beginning to rip from the amount of people hanging on it.

"What?!" Leorio exclaimed with surprise.

"The web isn't going to hold us all!" Kurapika exclaimed.

'It's a good thing you're on a web of your own,' Kuromi muttered.

'Oh hush. It'd be bad if those guys fell into the pit..' Kiyoko replied, grabbing the web she stood on and dropping to hang.

"Gon? It's not here yet?" Killua asked, lowering himself to Kiyoko's level.

"The threads of web is going to rip soon.." Kiyoko said worriedly, the silver haired boy looking at her.

"I can't wait for an updraft any longer, damn it!" a man exclaimed, dropping off the web with two other people.

'Looks like they're goners..' Killua muttered.

'That's true..' Kiyoko whispered back.

The three regretted dropping and began to scream as they landed in the river. Only a few strands held the web to the side of the canyon, causing panic to everyone.

"G-Gon…. IT'S GOING TO SNAP SOON!" Leorio exclaimed.

"... NOW!" the boy exclaimed.

The remaining hunters below let go of the web to head down and grab an egg or just dropped to the bottom with an egg in hand to be blown back up by the strong gust of wind. Todo missed grabbing an egg in the process due to his anxiety and was blown back up empty handed, disappointed in himself.

"Alright! Show me all the eggs you've gotten!" Menchi instructed as Buhara got a pot ready. "You are all going to boil the eggs for yourself and just so you know, it's not like boiling an ordinary egg as they boil in different times. Boiled eggs are fine dishes too. Boiling time is the most important point in cooking this dish. A half cooked egg and an overcooked egg means you fail."

The hunters grabbed a net as they groaned and circled around the gigantic pot, dropping in their eggs.

* * *

><p>"Is it time yet….?" Leorio growled impatiently.<p>

"Not really," Kiyoko answered.

'Impatient bastard,' Kuromi thought.

"Just a little longer…" Kurapika added.

"I don't even know how to boil an ordinary egg int it's assigned time…" Killua stated, leaning in to look at the eggs.

Kiyoko giggled a little and ruffled the boy's already messed up hair.

"I guess this is something new for you then," Kiyoko said, the boy looking at her curiously.

The eggs began to hop around in the pot as Buhara leaned in a little anxiously.

'Ooh….'

The participants slowly turned their heads over to the big man with curiosity.

"He just said 'ooh!'," Gon pointed out.

"Then that means…" Leorio said.

"IT'S READY! HURRY! IT'LL OVERCOOK! I DON'T WANT TO FAIL THIS TEST!" the applicants yelled, reaching in to snag an egg with their net. "I GOT IT!"

* * *

><p>"Go ahead and try it!" Menchi offered.<p>

Everyone began to peel open their eggs and took a bite of the Spider Eagle's eggs, eyes widening up a little.

"This is so damn good," Hanzo exclaimed with his mouth full. "A lot better than the eggs you buy in stores…"

"I can see why they are called dream eggs," Kurapika said.

Kiyoko allowed Kuromi emerge and take half of her body for the time being as she ate a bit of the egg.

"This isn't bad.." Kuromi said.

"Mhm. It is good," Kiyoko agreed.

"Is just me or is she talking to herself?" Killua asked, taking another big bite from his egg.

"Ahaha, not really, kid," Leorio said. "They are one person, but at the same time they aren't. Kuromi has a sharper and ruder sounding voice and Kiyoko's voice sounds warmer and calm."

"Rude? What a joke, what about you?" Kuromi asked.

"Kuro, calm down.." Kiyoko said.

Kuromi began to grumble to herself as she listened to her positive self.

"I see what you mean.." the boy said.

"Todo-san!" Gon exclaimed.

"Huh?"

"Would you like to try some?"

Menchi looked over to the two and smiled at Gon as the man grabbed the egg and tried a bite.

".. It's delicious…!" the man said, his eyes opening wide.

"And so you've now experienced the overwhelming joy of uncovering a new ingredient and how it can taste so good," Menchi said, strolling over to the two. "We Gourmet Hunters risk our lives for that one particular joy. It's just like a Blacklist Hunter experiencing their victorious capture of a criminal, becoming overwhelmed with happiness. That's why we are proud to be a Gourmet Hunter"

".. I-I've been outdone this year…. I'll be back for the next exam though!" Todo exclaimed, walking away.

"That. IS SO COOL!" Gon exclaimed, looking at the woman next to him.

"Well, I am suppose to be a genius Gourmet Hunter. I need to prove myself to be a good proctor as well," the young woman said. "Chairman."

Netero nodded at the woman.

"Phase two, forty-two of you passed this phase! Menchi's menu is now over!"

"Thank god!" the group exclaimed, chatter filling the open space as they headed back to the airship.

* * *

><p><strong>Stormy: I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING FOR MORE THAN A MONTH! I HAVE A LOT OF HOMEWORK, I GOT SICK ON OCTOBER 31 AND IT TAKES ME A MONTH TO RECOVER, SO I'M MUCH BETTER NOW, I HAVE A BUNCH OF REQUESTS AND A BUNCH OF STORIES TO UPDATE, AND I ALSO NEED MY DRAWING TIME AND MUSIC TIME! PLEASE DON'T KILL MEEE!<strong>

**Kuromi: The last part sounded over exaggerated...**

**Kiyoko: Kuro, she's having a lot of stuff going on right now...**

**Killua: Ignore them. There's a poll on Stormy's profile so check it out.**

**Gon: Eh? I don't get it.**

**Leorio: It's nothing, kid.**

**Kurapika: Thanks for reading!**

**Everyone: R&R and enjoy! Bye!**

_**~stormy003**_


End file.
